A masked person, probably armed with a firearm, attacked a machine during drilling in an area near Kiruna on the night from Wednesday to Thursday, the Swedish state-owned mining company LKAB said. Earlier, there had been sabotage.
“No one was injured, all work has been temporarily suspended,” LKAB said in a statement.
Armed person breaks into drilling machine in Sweden
The incident occurred between 2 and 3 a.m. in the Per Geijer area near Kiruna. The police and SAPO special services were informed about the incident. At the same location On August 30, there was a sabotage. An unknown perpetrator or perpetrators damaged four drilling machines. The investigation is ongoing.
In January 2023, the largest deposits of rare earth metals in Europe were discovered in the Per Geijer area, which are key to the production of batteries, electric motors and wind turbines, as well as military equipment. The investment is crucial for the EU to be able to become independent from raw material supplies from Chin and Russia.
Mine in Kiruna, SwedenTommy Alven / Shutterstock
Swedish intelligence warned in late August of an increased risk of acts of sabotage by Russia. Secret services Sweden, Norway and Denmark They believe that local criminals are recruited for this type of activity via the Internet.
Main image source: Tommy Alven / Shutterstock