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Soviet Espionage in Sweden : The Vasilii Sidorenko Case of 1942

Matz, Johan LU (2024) In International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence
Abstract
This is a study of a Soviet espionage mission in Sweden in 1942 under the aegis of the intelligence officer Vasilii Sidorenko. Aside from trying to reconstruct, on the basis of material filed with the archive of the Swedish Security Police (Säpo), the history of the mission, the article also addresses methodological challenges following from the fact that we must, as Soviet material remains very scarce, approach Sidorenko’s mission indirectly, through material generated by the Swedish police. The article is therefore structured in terms of three separate fields of inquiry—a first that addresses the organization of Sweden’s counterespionage with regard the Sidorenko mission, a second that addresses the organization and institutional context... (More)
This is a study of a Soviet espionage mission in Sweden in 1942 under the aegis of the intelligence officer Vasilii Sidorenko. Aside from trying to reconstruct, on the basis of material filed with the archive of the Swedish Security Police (Säpo), the history of the mission, the article also addresses methodological challenges following from the fact that we must, as Soviet material remains very scarce, approach Sidorenko’s mission indirectly, through material generated by the Swedish police. The article is therefore structured in terms of three separate fields of inquiry—a first that addresses the organization of Sweden’s counterespionage with regard the Sidorenko mission, a second that addresses the organization and institutional context within which Sidorenko operated, and a third that addresses the accounts of five Swedish citizens who were suspected and later sentenced for having assisted Sidorenko to collect military intelligence in Sweden. The article concludes that the suggested framework with three fields of inquiry might be helpful in the study of offensive espionage operations in a more general sense. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
This is a study of a Soviet espionage mission in Sweden in 1942 under the aegis of the intelligence officer Vasilii Sidorenko. Aside from trying to reconstruct, on the basis of material filed with the archive of the Swedish Security Police (Säpo), the history of the mission, the article also addresses methodological challenges following from the fact that we must, as Soviet material remains very scarce, approach Sidorenko’s mission indirectly, through material generated by the Swedish police. The article is therefore structured in terms of three separate fields of inquiry—a first that addresses the organization of Sweden’s counterespionage with regard the Sidorenko mission, a second that addresses the organization and institutional context... (More)
This is a study of a Soviet espionage mission in Sweden in 1942 under the aegis of the intelligence officer Vasilii Sidorenko. Aside from trying to reconstruct, on the basis of material filed with the archive of the Swedish Security Police (Säpo), the history of the mission, the article also addresses methodological challenges following from the fact that we must, as Soviet material remains very scarce, approach Sidorenko’s mission indirectly, through material generated by the Swedish police. The article is therefore structured in terms of three separate fields of inquiry—a first that addresses the organization of Sweden’s counterespionage with regard the Sidorenko mission, a second that addresses the organization and institutional context within which Sidorenko operated, and a third that addresses the accounts of five Swedish citizens who were suspected and later sentenced for having assisted Sidorenko to collect military intelligence in Sweden. The article concludes that the suggested framework with three fields of inquiry might be helpful in the study of offensive espionage operations in a more general sense. (Less)
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author
organization
alternative title
Sovjetiskt spionage i Sverige : Fallet Vasilij Sidorenko år 1942
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence
publisher
Taylor & Francis
ISSN
0885-0607
DOI
10.1080/08850607.2024.2349500
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
cab8f22b-6767-4ce1-b39f-6c4691b0a72c
date added to LUP
2024-06-08 16:54:14
date last changed
2024-06-10 09:29:26
@article{cab8f22b-6767-4ce1-b39f-6c4691b0a72c,
  abstract     = {{This is a study of a Soviet espionage mission in Sweden in 1942 under the aegis of the intelligence officer Vasilii Sidorenko. Aside from trying to reconstruct, on the basis of material filed with the archive of the Swedish Security Police (Säpo), the history of the mission, the article also addresses methodological challenges following from the fact that we must, as Soviet material remains very scarce, approach Sidorenko’s mission indirectly, through material generated by the Swedish police. The article is therefore structured in terms of three separate fields of inquiry—a first that addresses the organization of Sweden’s counterespionage with regard the Sidorenko mission, a second that addresses the organization and institutional context within which Sidorenko operated, and a third that addresses the accounts of five Swedish citizens who were suspected and later sentenced for having assisted Sidorenko to collect military intelligence in Sweden. The article concludes that the suggested framework with three fields of inquiry might be helpful in the study of offensive espionage operations in a more general sense.}},
  author       = {{Matz, Johan}},
  issn         = {{0885-0607}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence}},
  title        = {{Soviet Espionage in Sweden : The Vasilii Sidorenko Case of 1942}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08850607.2024.2349500}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/08850607.2024.2349500}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}