– I believe there has been a great lack of recognition of how strategically important Norwegian energy production, especially oil and gas production in the North Sea, has been for Europe. – Production is a strategically important goal for those who see Europe and the West as a rival, says Ulriksen. He says that both the Intelligence Service, the Police Security Service (PST) and the National Security Authority (NSM) have warned of large-scale espionage against Norway from countries such as China, Iran and Russia. – Then other authorities chose not to listen to them and acted very naively. There is no doubt about it, he says. Researcher and teacher at the Naval Academy, Ståle Ulriksen, believes that Norway has been naive. Photo: Naval Academy – Covert warfare In recent days and weeks, there have been several sightings of what may have been drones over important oil and gas installations and airports in Norway. Equinor sounded the alarm about unknown drone activity around Norwegian platforms already in September, before the gas leak in the Baltic Sea. Danish Russia expert Mette Skak at the University of Aarhus tells Danmarks Radio (DR) that a pattern is beginning to emerge. – I would say that it smacks of hybrid warfare. So a covert warfare where you want to create fear, and where you don’t know who is behind the attacks, she says to DR. More Russians arrested In the past week, a total of six Russians have been arrested for illegal activities in Norway. Four of them were arrested on Tuesday 11 October, where they are said to have photographed objects that are subject to a photography ban. The fifth, a man in his 50s, was stopped on his way out of Norway over Storskog – with two drones and several storage devices. The sixth person is a 51-year-old who was arrested when he was taking photographs at Tromsø Airport in Langnes. Ulriksen nevertheless believes that security has improved much in the last two weeks. – I also think that the Minister of Justice was good at the press conference (Monday), he comments. There, Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl urged people to be aware of suspicious events. Facts about the drone arrests On Tuesday 11 October, a Russian man in his 50s was arrested after being stopped at a checkpoint on his way out of Norway at Storskog. In the luggage, the police discovered two drones and a number of storage devices. * The man has admitted to flying a drone in Norway and has himself explained that he has been on a tourist trip in Norway since August. The man had two Russian passports and one Israeli passport on him when he was arrested. * On Friday, the man was remanded in custody for two weeks. He appealed the ruling, and the answer to it is expected on Monday. The large amount of material that the police must review was cited as a reason for the imprisonment. * On the morning of Friday 14 October, another Russian man, a 51-year-old, was arrested with a drone at Tromsø Airport. * He had been observed with a drone taking pictures of the airport. It was an employee at the airport who tipped off the police. * The police have seized a large quantity of photographic equipment including a drone and a number of memory cards. In the material, the police found, among other things, a video of the airport in Kirkenes and images of the Norwegian Armed Forces’ Bell helicopter. * The man has explained that he crossed the border at Storskog on Thursday, and that he was on his way to Svalbard. He has admitted to having flown a drone in Norway. * On Saturday, he was remanded in custody for two weeks. He has appealed the imprisonment order. * On Monday 17 October, it became known that four more Russian people have been arrested and detained. The four, three men and one woman, crossed the border via Finland by car. They have explained that they are tourists visiting Norway. * They have been observed while photographing an object subject to a photography ban somewhere in Nordland. No drones have been found, only ordinary photo cameras. * The police have seized a quantity of photographic equipment and extensive photographic material. They are detained for seven days. It is not known whether they are appealing the rulings. Source: NTB – Suddenly everyone could have drones Drone activity has been detected at military installations in Norway in the past. At the weekend, news wrote that the military facility in Gumpedalen in Sørreisa already had uninvited guests from above six or seven years ago. During a two-year period, the facility was visited by around ten drones. Lieutenant Colonel Roy Nordfonn, who is currently deputy commander and chief of staff in 131 Air Wing in Sørreisa, will not comment on whether there has been an increase in the number of drone observations. Lieutenant Colonel Roy Nordfonn is deputy commander and chief of staff in 131 Air Wing in Sørreisa. Photo: Defense He nevertheless says on a general basis that Norway has probably been a little too naive when it comes to the use of drones. – I’m not only thinking about defense matters, but also in the private sector. Suddenly everyone could have drones, while the regulations from the authorities lagged behind, he says. Today, around 500,000 Norwegians have one or more drones. – This is used both privately and at work, and I think probably not everyone has the same knowledge and understanding of restrictions. This is difficult to collect afterwards, he says. – It helps to create fear Karen-Anna Eggen, researcher at the Department of Defense Studies (IFS), says that the use of drones is a direct response to the war in Ukraine. – It is not going so well for Russia, so they have a need to give a clear signal and deter western supporters who contribute on the Ukrainian side, says Eggen to news. – It helps to create fear, while at the same time they are used for mapping infrastructure from the Russian side. Mapping is important as preparation for a possible future conflict. We have gone from peace to a conflict phase with Russia, she asserts. Karen-Anna Eggen is a researcher at the Department of Defense Studies (IFS). Photo: Defense – Has drone activity among Russians increased recently, or have we become better at detecting this? – It has been pointed out that there has been an increase in activity of this type from the Russian side. We have probably had too much fear of contact when it comes to Russia and tried to normalize activity. Because we support Ukraine, and the Nordic region gains greater geopolitical importance, we will see more provocations in the future as Russia weakens conventionally. The question is how we will manage to handle it, Eggen replies. – We must dare to be tougher in the pinch against Russia. As long as the threat picture is as it is, it may for example be appropriate that everyone who crosses the border (between Norway and Russia) is checked, she says. news has not yet succeeded in getting a comment from the Ministry of Justice.
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