On 27 October 1981, the Soviet Navy’s Whisky-class submarine S-363 ran aground near Sweden’s Naval Base Karlskrona, one of the country’s main military installations. The grounding sparked a serious diplomatic and military crisis. Swedish forces swiftly surrounded the vessel, sealed off the area, and increased surveillance along the nation’s borders. The Soviets claimed the submarine had strayed into Swedish waters by accident, while Sweden demanded an explanation. Swedish intelligence later determined the vessel carried nuclear-armed torpedoes, and the crew prepared to destroy the submarine if boarded.

Tensions rose further when a Soviet naval task force, led by Vice Admiral Aleksey Kalinin, appeared just outside Swedish waters. More than ten Soviet warships gathered as Sweden’s Prime Minister, Thorbjörn Fälldin, ordered the Armed Forces to “hold the line” and prepare to defend the border. The international press viewed the incident as proof of extensive Soviet submarine activity in the Baltic. Swedish authorities concluded it was a deliberate act of espionage, though others suggested it was due to navigational errors and poor equipment.

In Whiskey on the Rocks, Volume 2, Michael Fredholm von Essen re-examines the 1981 confrontation using newly declassified Swedish, Soviet, and U.S. intelligence records. He traces the submarine’s route, the ensuing standoff, and the naval doctrines that shaped Soviet actions during the Cold War. The book includes original photographs and colour artwork depicting the people, ships, and aircraft involved in the event.