Norway’s spy chief believes Russia has become more likely to try and sabotage its infrastructure, such as oil and gas.
The head of Norway’s foreign intelligence service said that Russia has become bolder in countering Western support for Ukraine.
Risk Assessment
“The risk level has changed,” Vice Admiral Nils Andreas Stensoenes, head of the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS),told Reuters.
Likelihood of Sabotage
“We believe sabotage is more likely, and we see acts of sabotage happening in Europe now.”
Norway’s spy chief further said that acts of sabotage indicate that they (the Russians) have moved a bit on that scale.”
Russia rejects such accusations as Western scaremongering.
Its embassy in Oslo was not immediately available for comment.
Earlier this year, Norway’s intelligence agencies assessed that Russia “may find it prudent” to conduct acts of sabotage.
Petroleum Is The Main Target
They are judging the situation differently from what they saw last year and say that petroleum is now the prime target
Norway is Europe’s largest gas provider and a major crude oil exporter.
Stensoenes’ agency is responsible for collecting intelligence abroad and supporting Norway’s military.
But he said President Vladimir Putin’s nation had become “more or less a pariah state” for the West.
Huge Undersea Infrastructure
After the Nord Stream pipelines sabotage in September 2022, Norway deployed its navy to protect its North Sea oil and gas platforms, with support from NATO allies.
Still, the Norwegian undersea infrastructure is so vast, consisting of gas pipelines stretching some 9,000 km (5,590 miles), it is difficult to protect.
Norway also has more than 90 offshore oil and gas fields.
Moscow has repeatedly complained that Germany, in charge of the Nord Stream investigation, has not been doing enough to probe the explosions.
Explosions
The explosions ruptured two pipelines built to carry Russian gas to Europe under the Baltic Sea.
No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts which occurred seven months after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
Moscow says it is not responsible for the blast.
German prosecutors last month said they had issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian diving instructor in Poland in connection with the attacks.
Kyiv Denies Involvement
Kyiv has denied involvement.
(With Inputs From Reuters)
