Hoisted a broken Ukrainian flag – received a home visit from the Armed Forces

Published 22 August 2024 at 17.38

Domestic. Civilian employees from the Armed Forces visited the home of Dan Drakenholt in Trelleborg and wanted to know if he was “pro-Ukraine or pro-Russia”, reports Expressen.

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Dan Drakenholt recently received an unexpected visit from the Swedish Armed Forces after he raised a torn Ukrainian flag in his garden.

The flag, which Drakenholt had deliberately painted with red lines to symbolize a country that is bleeding, attracted the attention of The Swedish Armed Forces who carried out a “security operation” in the area.

Two plainclothes men from the Swedish Armed Forces visited Drakenholt and asked questions about the flag's background and purpose, as they were unsure whether he was “pro-Ukraine or pro-Russia”.< /p>

The incident was captured by the surveillance camera and the video has been published by Expressen. In the clip, you can see how the defense employees press Dan Drakenholt – who by all accounts is a strong supporter of Ukraine – about his views.

One of the men says:

– What we were wondering was exactly the. We wanted to clarify what you mean by that flag. We were unsure if you were pro-Ukraine or pro-Russia. And then … the best way is to come and ask you. There were divided opinions.

– Divided opinions with whom? asks Dan Drakenholt.

– With our senior managers, is the answer.

Drakenholt, who felt uncomfortable with the situation, experienced it as a form of “opinion control”.

The Defense Forces' press manager, Therese Fagerstedt, confirms that the visit took place, but emphasizes that it was not about opinion control, but that they only wanted more information as part of the “security operation”. Fagerstedt tells Expressen that it is voluntary to provide information to the Armed Forces and that their personnel are trained to minimize the risk of being perceived as controlling.