By Leila Nezirevic
LONDON (AA) — Norway's intelligence agency believes Russian spies are operating in the west of the Nordic country and planning acts of sabotage, local media reported on Friday.
In an interview with the country's public broadcaster, the Norwegian Intelligence Service's (PST) western division chief said that Russian agents aimed to sabotage critical infrastructure, as well as military installations and preparedness routines.
"Russian intelligence agents are working against a variety of targets, such as critical and vulnerable infrastructure and military installations. They also have a clear goal of exposing Norwegian contingency plans," Torgils Lutro told the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).
Northern Europe's largest naval base, as well as crucial oil, gas, and power facilities in the region are all at risk of sabotage, Lutro warned, according to the NRK.
While not specifying the exact number of Russian agents active in the area, he say there were several.
"We see that some of Russia's intentions may be to prepare acts of sabotage. They are operating throughout the area and moving around," Lutro said, adding that one of Moscow's objectives may be to damage Norway's reputation among its allies.
"It is clear that one of Russia's goals is to make us look bad. They will try to show that we are not in control of the situation, or that we cannot help our allies with exports in potential future situations," he said.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Norwegian authorities have expelled 15 Russian diplomats over suspected espionage.
This forced the Kremlin to reconsider its intelligence personnel and resources, according to the PST.
"Identifying these agents is not straightforward. They blend into society, which is part of their job. They may not even hold Russian citizenship, but are motivated by factors like money or threats," Lutro explained.
Since Moscow started it’s "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022, Norway, as well as neighboring Finland and Sweden, have constantly warned of a growing foreign intelligence threat to their security.
"We've employed various methods to uncover these activities, and in some instances, we have a clear understanding of how they operate," Lutro said.