Air raid warning baffles Swedish motorists
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Stockholm (AFP) – Swedish motorists were left baffled this week after they mistakenly received an airstrike warning, an incident authorities called “serious” on Thursday given the war in Ukraine and Russia’s irritation over Sweden’s NATO bid.
“We are investigating” how it happened, a spokesperson for the Swedish Transport Administration told AFP.
The alarm was broadcast on Wednesday on a so-called Traffic Message Channel, a system currently being phased out in Sweden that allows motorists to receive traffic updates via their car radio.
The message was sent out in southern Blekinge county, where one of Sweden’s largest air force bases is located.
“Important traffic message, Blekinge län: Air raid, danger”, appeared on the vehicle’s dashboards, preceded by a danger triangle.
The media then contacted the Swedish Transport Administration and announced that the warning that had been sent out.
It was not immediately known how many motorists were notified.
The Swedish Transport Administration said they knew “very little” about how it happened, but considered it “serious” given the current situation in the Nordic region and the war in Ukraine.
Moscow has reacted frostily to Sweden’s decision to abandon two centuries of military non-alliance and seek NATO membership after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
Russian military aircraft have violated Swedish airspace on several occasions this year before the country formally submitted its NATO application.
In 2018, Sweden issued a wartime pamphlet to all households advising Swedes how to act in the event of a major crisis or conflict, despite the country not having experienced a war on its soil in more than 200 years.
© 2022 AFP