Europe's Increased Dependence on Norwegian Energy Raises Concerns Over Sabotage in the Country's Facilities

The head of one of the organizations responsible for securing Norway's energy facilities said on Monday to Reuters that Europe's increasing dependence on Norwegian oil and gas has made the country's energy infrastructure more vulnerable to sabotage attacks. In 2022, Norway surpassed Russia as the largest supplier of natural gas to Europe. Lars Christian Amundsen, head of Norway's National Security Agency, stated in an interview: "I am concerned about the dependency, and there is no doubt that Europe is more reliant on Norwegian gas." He added, "As soon as dependency increases, the threat and risk also increase." The National Security Agency of Norway indicated that if conflicts in the Middle East disrupt the oil market, Europe's reliance on Norwegian oil and gas may further increase. Norway's military intelligence service reported separately that Norway's oil and gas facilities could be targets of "incidents, physical sabotage, and destructive cyberattacks." Norwegian security officials noted that Russia's activities in monitoring and mapping Norway's infrastructure continue. Last October, a gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable between Finland and Estonia were damaged in the Baltic Sea. Norwegian officials stated that this incident served as a wake-up call regarding sabotage risks and raised awareness among many, including in Norway. Finnish police identified a Chinese container ship as the main suspect, stating that its anchor had dragged on the seabed. However, they have yet to conclude whether this was an accident or a deliberate act. Two other cables, one connecting Sweden and Estonia and another Russian cable, were also damaged at the same time.