Comment Norway, a NATO member that shares a 120-mile border with Russia, raised its military alert level on Tuesday, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine after suspicious drone sightings angered the country. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store insisted there was no immediate threat to Norway, but said Europe was facing “the most serious political security situation in decades”. “Today, we have no reason to believe that Russia will want to involve Norway or any other country directly in war. But the war in Ukraine makes it necessary for all NATO countries to be more careful,” he told a press conference on Monday. The change in the military alert level includes some soldiers spending less time on training and focusing more on “maritime surveillance,” Norwegian Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram said. Monitoring the North Sea and protecting oil and gas facilities “is a high priority,” Gram told reporters. Norway’s Home Guard, a rapid-mobilization force, will also increase its presence, officials said without elaborating on the security changes. Drone sightings in recent weeks have led to an investigation by Norwegian intelligence and the arrest of at least seven Russians – including the son of an associate of President Vladimir Putin – for flying drones or taking photos in certain zones. Unmanned aerial vehicles have been reported around Norway’s airports and offshore oil and gas fields, a mainstay of the country’s economy. Norway jailed for drone sightings, Putin confidant’s son arrested Norway, now a vital supplier of natural gas to Europe, and other countries have sought to boost security around key infrastructure after the September explosions that hit the Nord Stream pipelines, built to carry natural gas from Russia across the Baltic Sea. European leaders blamed sabotage and Norway’s armed forces have since said they have increased naval operations in the North Sea alongside NATO forces. Norway’s prime minister described the drone strikes this month as “foreign intelligence,” pointing the finger at Russia. Norwegian authorities have said the purpose of the drones may be to instill fear, reassuring citizens of a generally low risk of attack. After announcing the raised alert level, Norway’s prime minister told a reporter that people would probably not notice big changes in their daily lives and that it would be more visible along the coast and at Home Guard facilities. Fears of spillover from the war in Ukraine have prompted Nordic countries to strengthen their borders with Russia and Norway’s neighbors Sweden and Finland to apply to join the NATO defense alliance in a tectonic shift with strong US backing. . Emily Rauhala and Sammy Westfall contributed to this report.
