Russia is secretly mapping energy infrastructure in the North Sea, including gas pipelines and wind farms, and may be preparing to carry out acts of sabotage, Politico reports.
The Dutch intelligence agencies AIVD and MIVD have released a joint report warning that critical underwater infrastructure is at risk of sabotage and that Russia is carrying out activities that suggest espionage.
Jan Swillens, the head of MIVD, stated at the press conference on the 20th of February that Russia is interested in finding ways to damage the energy infrastructure and added that a Russian ship was discovered near a wind farm located at sea. Swillens said:
«We saw in recent months Russian actors tried to uncover how the energy system works in the North Sea.»
The report said underwater internet cables were also at risk, and intelligence agencies warned that other sectors, such as water supply systems, are endangered as well. Since the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea in September 2022, the countries of the European Union and NATO have strengthened the protection of the critically important infrastructure.
NATO has announced the creation of a new infrastructure coordination group in Brussels. It will aim to bring military and civil infrastructure operators into close cooperation.
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