Head of the naval defense is extremely pleased with the effort performed on the Norwegian Continental Shelf
Lieutenant-colonel Geir Hågen Karlsen from the Norwegian Defence University College (NDUC) opened his speech at the LO Oil and Gas conference with this feedback from the head of the naval defense.
A distinct and clear lieutenant-colonel provided the audience with an insight into the security dimension connected to the Ukrainian war. He was also very clear in his message that the war started in 2014, and that the war is probably here for the duration. And that the war would be an attrition – to exhaust the people of Ukraine.
-Political instability will persist independent of Putin’s presence or not. There will not be business as usual tomorrow, lieutenant-colonel Karlsen expressed. Russia’s strategy was «eat and heat». Make everything so difficult for Europe and Ukraine that they had to choose between food and warmth. Russia wants to increase the pressure on Europe and the West to create uncertainty, create pressure and create discord.
And he was also explicit that Russia wishes to make life unpleasant for the Ukraine by bombing important infrastructure; removing the electrical power will also remove the water supply. The target was to create uncertainty and a pressure on Europe with a wave of refugees to the west. Russia has not achieved the last part. The Ukrainians have chosen to fight for their country and stay put, even though they have suffered severe bombings of civilian targets and infrastructure.
Drones and Norwegian safety/security
The lieutenant-colonel was very clear that there is no direct threat towards Norway or Norwegian facilities.
-If somebody wished to use drones for sabotage, the chosen drones would be small and without lights, Karlsen told the audience.
He also told us not to be worried about drones, but that everybody should still notify their observations. Russia would be ill advised trying to sabotage or damaging a facility or a pipeline on the Norwegian continental shelf, even if Norwegian gas is the major sabotage target towards Europe.
-In the event of this happening, it will be a severe escalation of a conflict between the West and Russia. The West will respond with military forces, cyber, economic sanctions etc. The West has more superior military equipment and will be able to perform with better precision than Russia, lieutenant-colonel Karlsen said.
He closed with the statement: Be alert and prepare for a long run. The chance of something happening in Norway is very low. There are many working on this every day, that you do not actually see.
