STOCKHOLM – The Swedish authorities have been finding vandalized speed cameras for months, writes the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. It is suspected that Russia uses this flash equipment in drones that the country is deploying during the war in Ukraine. On Wednesday, according to local media, camera equipment was stolen from two speed cameras in an area north of Stockholm.

Russia uses drones in war with Ukraine.

Ⓒ  VIA REUTERS

Since the end of August, more than a hundred speed cameras have been vandalized and looted in various Swedish regions, Aftonbladet reports. The Swedish police confirm the thefts and say they are investigating them. “We are aware of rumors that the equipment is being used in Russian home-built drones, but cannot go into detail about our intelligence work,” a spokesman for the Swedish national security service Säpo told the newspaper.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry previously posted a video online of a crashed Russian drone being taken apart. It showed how a Canon camera was attached to the self-built drone with Velcro. The type of camera was similar to that used in Swedish speed cameras.

The “amateur construction” is successful, Aftonbladet said, and Russia would use the drones to locate Ukrainian forces. It is not clear whether the cameras are also part of the kamikazedrones that Russia recently deployed in attacks on Ukrainian cities.

The destroyed speed cameras cost Sweden a lot of money. Per speed camera it would be a damage amount of about 250,000 Swedish kronor (more than 22,700 euros).

(C)AFTONBLADET 2022