Norwegian Navy Shadows Chinese Vessel Probed over Baltic Pipeline Damage
A Norwegian Navy ship shadowed a Chinese container ship investigated over damage to a gas pipeline in the Gulf of Finland for about 15 hours as it sailed along the western coast of Norway on Monday, vessel tracking data showed.Finnish investigators on Tuesday said they were looking into the Chinese vessel, the NewNew Polar Bear, and a Russian-flagged ship, the Sevmorput, as well as other vessels, present in the area when a Baltic Sea pipeline was damaged on Oct. 8.They said the incident was due to "outside activity" and could have been deliberate.The NewNew Polar Bear is a container ship travelling between Europe and China via the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic.
Europe's Biggest Gas Supplier Says All Clear from Offshore Pipeline Security Checks
Inspections of Norway's offshore gas pipelines after the Nord Stream blasts found nothing suspicious, an executive at energy major Equinor told Reuters, in the first official word on the security sweep.However, risks remain after last year's still-unexplained explosions at the Nord Stream pipelines built to carry Russian gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea, warned Jannicke Nilsson, who manages security for Equinor.Europe's largest gas supplier after a drop in Russian flows last year, Equinor also acts as technical service provider for offshore pipelines operator Gassco.
World's Biggest Aircraft Carrier Sails into Oslo for NATO Exercises
The world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, sailed into Oslo on Wednesday, a first for such a U.S. ship, in a show of NATO force at a time of heightened tension between NATO and Russia over the war in Ukraine.The ship and its crew will be conducting training exercises with the Norwegian armed forces along the country's coast in the coming days, the Norwegian military said."This visit is an important signal of the close bilateral relationship between the U.S.
Swedish Prosecutor Believes State Actor Behind Nord Stream Pipeline Blasts
A state actor's involvement in the blast of the Nord Stream pipelines last year is the "absolute main scenario", though confirming identity will prove difficult, the Swedish prosecutor investigating the attack said on Thursday.In September 2022, several unexplained underwater explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 and newly-built Nord Stream 2 pipelines that link Russia and Germany across the Baltic Sea. The blasts occurred in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark and both countries say the explosions were deliberate, but have yet to determine who was responsible.
Norwegian Police Investigate Drone Sighting Over Gas Plant
Norway police on Friday investigated reports of a drone flying over the Kaarstoe [Kårstø] gas plant in southwest Norway on Thursday, while in Arctic Norway a Russian-Israeli citizen was arrested when police found two drones in his car.The Norwegian military Home Guard has been posted at Kaarstoe and other major energy export facilities since authorities boosted security at Norwegian oil and gas installations after the Sept. 26 Nord Stream leaks.At 2130 local time (1930 GMT) on Thursday…
Threat Against Major Gas Plant Resolved, Norwegian Police Say
Norwegian police on Thursday responded to a threat made by telephone against the Nyhamna gas processing plant, one of Europe's largest energy export facilities, and later said the incident had been resolved. The threat came amid heightened concerns about the security of oil and gas infrastructure following suspected sabotage of Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines to Europe, though plant operator Gassco and offshore producers Shell and Equinor said output had not been interrupted.
Norwegian Frigate Nearly Submerged After Collision
A Norwegian navy frigate that collided with an oil tanker last week was almost completely submerged on Tuesday despite efforts to salvage the sinking vessel, pictures taken by the Norwegian Coastal Administration showed.The ship's plight off the Norwegian coast is, however, not disrupting the nearby Sture crude oil export terminal. "We are in normal operations," said a spokeswoman for the plant's operator, Equinor.The Norwegian military has been working since Thursday to salvage the ship by tethering it with several cables to the shore.
Norwegian Oil, Gas Plants Restart after Ship Collision
An oil tanker and a Norwegian navy frigate collided off Norway's west coast on Thursday, injuring eight people and triggering the temporary shutdown of a North Sea crude export terminal, Norway's top gas processing plant and several offshore fields.The frigate, which recently took part in a major NATO military exercise, was aground and tilting on one side, live television pictures showed. The Norwegian military was attempting to save the ship."We are working on stabilizing the vessel…
Britain Says Will 'Man-mark' Passing Russian Warships
Britain said on Thursday it would keep a close eye on a fleet of Russian warships approaching British waters on their way to the eastern Mediterranean. The Norwegian military on Wednesday released pictures taken by surveillance aircraft of the fleet, which includes the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and the Pyotr Velikiy battle cruiser, sailing in international waters. British defence minister Michael Fallon said the Royal Navy would be watching closely. "When these ships near our waters we will man-mark them every step of the way," Fallon said. Russia's TASS state news agency said in July that the Admiral Kuznetsov would take part in a Russian operation in Syria from October to January.
Russian Warships Said to be Bound for Syria
The Norwegian military has released pictures taken by surveillance aircraft of a fleet of Russian warships sailing in international waters off the coast of Norway and reported to be heading to Syria. Photos of the vessels, which include the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and the Pyotr Velikiy battle cruiser, were taken near Andoya island, in northern Norway on Monday. A spokesman for the Norwegian military intelligence service said the country's armed forces frequently releases such footage, while newspaper VG quoted General Morten Haga Lunde, head of the service, as saying the eight ships involved "will probably play a role in the deciding battle for Aleppo".
Norway to Host NATO Submarine Hunt
Nearly 5,000 NATO troops would take part in anti-submarine warfare exercises off its coast in early May, amid growing regional unease over suspected submarine sightings, Norwegian military said. Submarines, surface ships and aircraft will operate in the exercise, dubbed "Dynamic Mongoose," from May 4 to 13 in the North Sea and Skagerrak, a strait between Norway, Sweden and Denmark, according to a statement posted on the Norwegian Armed Forces' official website. The drills will take place against a backdrop of growing Russian military activity in the region, and as Moscow and NATO face their worst crisis since the Cold War due to the conflict in Ukraine, says a report in AP.
New Arctic Spyship Hull Arrives at Norwegian Shipyard
The first photo of what is to be the most important military intelligence vessel for NATO in the Barents and Arctic Seas is to be seen on the right. “This is an important project to ensure Norway’s interests in the North. Control with the development there is strategically important for Norway,” says Head of the Norwegian Military Intelligence Lieutenant General Kjell Grandhagen. The hull was completed in a Romanian shipyard then towed to Norway's Vard Lansten Shipyard where it…
