Russia spy ship in North Sea raises concern over threat to critical maritime infrastructure
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The proxy war includes footage of the Russian research vessel Admiral Vladimirsky allegedly collecting data from windmills, gas pipelines, energy and internet cables. The group has said that Russia is systematically ‘mapping’ the threat to maritime infrastructure in the North Sea.
A new documentary by a group of public broadcasters in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway reveals a formidable threat to ocean energy and data infrastructure in the North Sea and Baltic region. The proxy war includes footage of the Russian research vessel Admiral Vladimirsky allegedly collecting data from windmills, gas pipelines, energy and internet cables. The group has said that Russia is systematically ‘mapping’ the threat to maritime infrastructure in the North Sea.
This will help Russia gather information about weak points, such as places where underwater power and data cables cross each other, which can become easy targets of attack. In reports in the British press this week, maritime security experts have said nothing that is not already known. We have long known that Russian military forces monitor maritime infrastructure, including windmills, communications cables and pipelines. However, in the 1990s and 2000s, when the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was cooperating on some security issues, Russian espionage activities in the Nordic waters never stopped.
In 2013 I was taken on board a Royal Navy ship to the North Sea, where one of its missions was to track down Russian spy ships. However, these activities intensified after the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014. Russian ships have been observed engaging in espionage activities throughout European waters, including Irish, Portuguese and Mediterranean waters. Nord Stream damage: In September 2022, the Nord Stream gas pipeline was damaged, the main energy pipeline in the Baltic Sea destroyed in the incident, which raised concerns in Western countries.
The culprits of this incident have not been identified yet. But recent reports have shown that these concerns are valid. NATO and the European Union (EU) have launched ambitious plans to improve the robustness of maritime infrastructure. NATO and the EU have created new working groups to develop better security strategies and coordinate between civilian and military agencies. In March this year the European Commission published an action plan as part of an updated ambitious maritime security strategy.
Why the North Sea is so important: The North Sea’s supply of gas and oil is a vital resource for the entire European energy market. The increasing emphasis on the production of green energy has assumed greater strategic importance. There are more than 40 windmill fields in the region. Need to act fast: Security policy and industry need to work together to develop strategic capabilities. It can be a public-private partnership.
Disclaimer:IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.
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