Even if the Norwegian Prime Minister believes that Russia has no intention of attacking Norway, the situation in Ukraine has caused an electric shock in the country.
Norway, a NATO member country that shares a border with Russia in the Arctic, will raise its military alert level, its prime minister announced on Monday, while stressing that no direct threat had been detected. against the kingdom. ” The defense will from tomorrow (Tuesday, editor’s note) increase its level of alert in Norway “, said during a press briefing Jonas Gahr Støre, considering that the invasion of Ukraine by Russia had caused ” the most serious security situation in Europe for decades “.
“ We have no reason today to believe that Russia wants to drag Norway or any other country directly into the war, but the war in Ukraine makes it necessary for all NATO countries to be more on their guard ,” he added. Having become Europe’s main supplier of natural gas after Russian deliveries were cut, Norway has already increased security around its strategic sites after mysterious drone flights were observed, including near oil platforms far offshore, and the alleged sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the neighboring Baltic Sea.
In recent weeks, several Russians have been arrested in the Scandinavian country for illegally flying drones over the territory or violating bans on taking photos at sensitive sites. Last week, the Norwegian counterintelligence also announced the arrest of a man suspected of being a ” clandestine agent ” of the Russian services and who could according to experts be a Russian military intelligence officer (GRU).
Several US F35 fighter jets are expected to remain in Norway
“ I have to point out that nothing has happened in the last day or days that takes us up a notch now. It’s an evolution over time that makes us move on to this , ”said Mr Støre. According to his Defense Minister, Bjørn Arild Gram, the raising of the military alert level will translate concretely into measures in logistics, communications security and security around army installations.
No details were provided on the different levels of the alert system, which is secret. Norwegian Army Chief of Staff Eirik Kristoffersen spoke of a reprioritization of activities and the use of resources, including the cancellation of exercises in favor of operational missions. One or more F35 fighter jets that were to be stationed in the United States for development tests will remain in Norway and the Scandinavian country will seek to obtain more quickly than expected P-8 maritime patrol aircraft ordered across the Atlantic, it said. -he says.
Faced with rising tensions between Russia and the West, Norway has already significantly increased its military budget and its intelligence efforts in the High North, where it shares 198 kilometers of border with Russia.
