A Russian Kilo Class submarine - at up to 2,350 tons surfaced probably too large to operate safely in the closed littoral off Stockholm, Sweden.
---
The much smaller Piranha ("Losos") class mini submarine at 220 tons surfaced better suited to closed waters.
---
The suspected Russian submarine that has made a distress call in Swedish waters may be:- a Russian development of the Piranha mini special forces submarine or a Triton-NN mini submarine. Perhaps one of these mini subs had a mission of repairing or replacing equipment on a remote controlled surveillance (post on an islet) used to monitor Swedish naval movements and communications. Alternatively perhaps the mission was to pickup or drop-off an agent working for the Russians.
- a Russian Kilo class conventionally propelled submarine?
- a Lada class submarine (B-585 Saint Petersburg)?
- much less likely a nuclear propelled submarine such as the Akula class
The Kilos, Lada and special forces submarine is probably from ussia's Baltic Fleet base at the enclave of Kaliningrad Oblast (boardered by the Baltic, Poland in the south and Lithuania in the north).
BACKGROUND
The UK Independent reported October 20, 2014 that http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/swedish-military-sights-russian-submarine-off-coast-of-stockholm-9805097.html :
"Russian submarine spotted' by Swedish military off coast of Stockholm"
Grenstad said the military could provide no information about any emergency messages suggesting a Russian mini-submarine had run into trouble in Swedish waters and could be damaged, as reported by the Svenska Dagbladet daily.
Russia has denied any involvement. The Defense Ministry in Moscow said its submarines and ships have been "fulfilling their tasks in the world's oceans," according to plan, Russian news agencies reported.
"There have been no emergencies or accidents with Russian military vessels," an unnamed spokesman at the ministry was quoted as saying.
Anders Nordin from the Swedish Maritime Administration said a Russian-owned oil tanker, Concord, which had reportedly been circling near Swedish waters for days, started sailing in a northeasterly direction toward Russia on Sunday morning. But it suddenly turned around and headed back in the direction of Sweden, according to Marine Traffic, a website which monitors vessels in the Baltic Sea.
Media reports said the movements of the Liberian-flagged tanker might be connected to the submarine search.
In 1981, a Soviet sub carrying nuclear weapons was stranded off Sweden's southeastern coast, causing an 11-day diplomatic standoff before Swedish authorities allowed the submarine to return home.
Swedish officials wouldn't speculate on what foreign power could be behind the suspected intrusion Friday. Last month, the Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to protest a violation of Swedish airspace by two Russian military aircraft."