Norway watches warily as Russian subs and aircraft step up Arctic patrols

[flying_wahini]

Source: NBC news

ABOARD THE KV SORTLAND — NATO ally Norway has announced that it is boosting the number of naval patrols near vital undersea gas pipelines off its coast, and released a trove of videos exclusively to NBC News illustrating what it sees as a growing Russian threat in the Arctic.

The videos provided by the Royal Norwegian Air Force capture the high-stakes cat-and-mouse game between the two militaries, with Russian attack submarines patrolling near a maze of undersea pipelines carrying vast amounts of natural gas to Europe and telecommunication cables linking Europe and America.
According to the head of the Royal Norwegian Navy, the videos indicate that Russian attack submarines and planes have expanded their presence in the High North, operating near Norway’s natural gas pipelines that represent a vital energy lifeline for Europe.

“We’ve seen increased military activity around Norway in the High North, in the North Atlantic. We have seen Russian submarines operating differently than they did 10 years ago,” Rear Adm. Rune Andersen said last week from the bridge of the Norwegian refueling ship Maud at the Haakonsvern Naval Base in the city of Bergen.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/norway-russian-submarines-planes-military-ukraine-arctic-rcna76368

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Or How to get NATO’s attention and bring other NATO countries into the war.

[pwb]

1. Yeah we need to spread Russia out.

More fronts will help Ukraine.

[Marcuse]

2. Keep eyes on their boomers.

[Bayard]

3. Why would Russia do this?

They don't have enough on their plates already? Deliberate provocation?

[womanofthehills]

4. Maybe revenge for Norstream being blown up

It’s scary to see stuff escalate. I think that pipeline brings gas to Germany

[flying_wahini]

5. Not just oil but proximity.

Norway, with more than 5,000 miles of pipelines, is now supplying 30 to 40% of Europe’s natural gas needs, up from about 20% before the Ukraine invasion. The undersea cables in the North Sea are part of a crucial global communications network that keeps data moving around the planet.

In Ukraine, Russia’s military has suffered serious setbacks and Western officials say it remains plagued by logistical and morale problems. But, Andersen said, Russia’s nuclear-powered submarine fleet, much of it based at its Murmansk military base near Norway, remains a formidable threat.