Netherlands takes on protection of infrastructure in North Sea: Private companies to be hired
Photo: The Netherlands aims to strengthen the security of infrastructure in the North Sea (wikipedia.org)
The Netherlands has decided to enhance the security of its infrastructure in the North Sea. This will be done by temporarily involving additional personnel and equipment from private companies, Reuters reports, citing the country's Ministry of Defense.
The decision by the Netherlands is linked to risks identified by the country's military intelligence (MIVD), which has noted that infrastructure targets, such as pipelines and wind farms, could become targets for Russian sabotage.
In April, MIVD reported that Russia could also be focusing efforts on sabotage against data processing centers in the North Sea region. In response, the Netherlands decided to engage private companies to ensure security until the deployment of two new multifunctional auxiliary vessels, which are planned to be part of the fleet by 2026.
While the Ministry of Defense has not disclosed which companies are involved in negotiations, this initiative is part of a broader strategy to protect strategically important infrastructure located in one of the world's busiest shipping regions.
The Netherlands has also allocated €41 million for the protection of its infrastructure in the North Sea, which likely reflects the seriousness of the threats in this area.
On November 18 it was reported that the undersea cable C-Lion1, connecting Finland and Germany via the Baltic Sea, was damaged. The company announced the start of repairs, which may take 5–15 days.
The 1,173 km cable connects Helsinki and Rostock and has been operational since 2016 as the only direct route between Finland and Central Europe.
Later, it was revealed that another cable between Lithuania and Sweden in the Baltic Sea had also been found damaged.
