Security services say Norway energy industry faces Russia threats
Security services from seven countries briefed Norwegian energy executives
Germany's Sinan Selen sees espionage and sabotage threats from Russia
Norwegian intelligence warns of potential sabotage against petroleum sector
By Nora Buli and Nerijus Adomaitis
STAVANGER, Norway, Aug 26 (Reuters) -Security services from seven European countries on Monday briefed Norwegian energy executives and officials, including from Equinor EQNR.OL, Europe's largest gas supplier, about what they see as Russian threats to critical infrastructure.
The closed-door meeting attended by national security services from Norway, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and Iceland highlighted Norway's role as the key energy supplier to Europe.
"We see a developing story which addresses not only Germany or Norwegian colleagues but all of us," Sinan Selen, the vice president of Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, told Reuters after the meeting.
"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," he added, declining to discuss specific cases.
In April, two German-Russian nationals were arrested in Germany on suspicion of plotting sabotage attacks, including on U.S. military facilities, in what officials called a serious effort to undermine military support for Ukraine.
The Russian Embassy in Germany has dismissed allegations that it was behind the plans as "absurd and ridiculous".
The Norwegian intelligence agencies have also highlighted what they term as the 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.
Norwegian intelligence agencies said earlier this year that Russia "may find it prudent" to carry out physical or digital acts of sabotage against targets in Norway, with its petroleum sector being the prime target.
After Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Norway, a NATO member country that shares a border with Russia in the Arctic, has become Europe's largest supplier of natural gas, which is delivered via a vast subsea pipeline system.
"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 Norwegian Intelligence Service, told an open-door meeting earlier on Monday.
"So, even though we haven't seen any concrete evidence on plans to do anything in Norway, it's wise to be prudent and increase the level of security," he added.
Reporting by Nora Buli and Nerijus Adomaitis; Editing by William Maclean
Mga Kaugnay na Asset
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.