Security agencies of seven EU nations alert Norway to Russian threat in energy sector

Reuters reported the information.

The warning was delivered during a closed-door meeting attended by security services from Norway, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, and Iceland. At the meeting, it was emphasized that Norway has now become Europe’s primary energy supplier.

"We see a developing story which addresses not only Germany or Norwegian colleagues but all of us. This is a threat which comes from some counterparts like Russia, including not only espionage operations but also the risk of sabotage in some fields," stated Sinan Selen, the vice president of Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

The agency reminded that in April, two individuals, one German and one Russian, were arrested in Germany on suspicion of plotting sabotage, specifically targeting U.S. military facilities — a serious attempt to undermine military support for Ukraine.

The Russian Embassy in Germany dismissed the accusations, calling them "absurd and ridiculous."

Norwegian intelligence also flagged what they see as a potential threat of Russian sabotage.

"When we are talking about sabotage today, we are talking about Russia," Beate Gangaas, the head of Norway's counterintelligence agency PST, which organised the meeting on the sidelines of the ONS energy conference, told Reuters.

Earlier this year, Norwegian intelligence warned that Russia may consider physical or digital sabotage against facilities in Norway, particularly targeting its oil sector.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Norway, a NATO member that shares a border with Russia in the Arctic, has become Europe's top natural gas supplier, with deliveries through an extensive network of underwater pipelines.

"Russia is in a lasting confrontation with the West, and it's a regime that is willing to take more risk," Vice Admiral Nils Andreas Stensoenes, the head of the Norwegian Intelligence Service, emphasized. 

He added that while no concrete evidence has yet been found of Russia planning any sabotage, it's crucial to act prudently and increase security measures in advance.

• It was recently revealed that Norway will finance the production of artillery shells in Ukraine, developed by the Norwegian company Nammo.