Store on the war in Ukraine: – It has moved closer to us in Norway
Thursday morning the government press conference on the work related to the war in Ukraine.
– The war in Ukraine is over in a new and even more serious phase, says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
– It has moved closer to us in Norway, he adds.
In the past week, seven Russians have been arrested for drone use in the North and photography.
- On 11 October, a Russian man was arrested at Storskog.
- On the same day, three men and a woman from Russia were arrested in Mosjøen.
- On 15 October, a Russian man was arrested at Tromsø Airport.
– We must not be surprised if there are more arrests related to drone use, says Støre.
Russia is taking more chances in its intelligence work
Strong support behind the Norwegian authorities is not secured on the Russian authorities stand drone flights that have been in recent days.
– We have not linked drone activity in Norway to authorities from any country. Seven Russians have been arrested, but what I have said is that if it is conducting intelligence activities with drones from Russia, then it is prohibited and must stop, says the Prime Minister.
– There is a real and serious threat to oil and gas security as well.
PST says it could be an example of Russia taking more chances in its intelligence work, adds Støre. He says the government sees no direct military threat from Russia.
The police, PST and the National Security Authority (NSM) are working more closely together to defend Norway against digital threats.
Initiated 46 measures
The government is working on an initiative that supports the supply of electricity and gas to Ukraine, as well as helping to supply parts to the damaged gas plants. Norway is now the largest supplier of gas and oil in Europe.
– Our demand is that the fighting must stop. This war must also be dealt with at a negotiating table. It is disturbing that there are so few contacts and little communication with Russia, says Støre.
Defense Minister Gram says that preparedness has been stepped up, and a total of 46 measures have been initiated in the defense sector today.
– It is natural to feel a sense of unease. But we should not be intimidated. Then Putin achieves what he wants, says Gram
New notification system in place during the year
Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness Emilie Mehl says that the police and defense have greater visibility both at sea and on land.
– We must expect more such cases in the future. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to changes in the geopolitical situation in Europe, says Mehl.
The government is working to establish a new, mobile population notification system. This means that we can send precise warnings about danger or other information to everyone in Norway who has a mobile phone within a few seconds, says Mehl at a press conference on Thursday.
She says that the goal is for the system to be in place within the year.
– It will be a big boost for social security.
The new mobile alert system is the first update from the typhoon alerts. The sirens are mostly in cities and towns, and the signals can be heard by more than half of the population, according to the civil defence.
The police use 57 million anti-drone equipment
The police is acquiring anti-drone equipment for NOK 57 million, and it is considering tightening the regulations for drones.
– Preparedness in Norway is high. At the same time, the government is constantly considering new measures. The police have been commissioned to procure anti-drone equipment for NOK 57 million, says Mehl.
– We do not want to rule out the possibility of tightening the regulations for drones, but we must bear in mind that there are different considerations here. There can be important and good purposes for using drones, she says further.
The Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority is now going through the rules and making an assessment of which should flow in, while the National Security Authority is looking at rules for exclusion zones for important infrastructure and airports, Mehl explains.
Sent 17,000 artillery shells
Since the war broke out, Norway has helped Ukraine with money and weapons. On Wednesday last week, it became clear that Norway is donating 17,000 artillery shells, for a sum of 210 million.
Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) released the news during the NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Wednesday last week.
Norway has previously given NOK 400 million to the British fund which coordinates the purchase of material for Ukraine. It is a part of these funds that is now used to buy ammunition.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg last week urged allies to supply additional air defense to Ukraine. The Liberal Party has repeatedly asked the government to send Nasams air defense batteries to Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyj requested in his speech to the Storting in March.
Developments in the war
In the last two weeks, Russia has destroyed 30 percent of Ukraine’s power plants, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Zelenskyi. The power has been lost several times in Kyiv and other regions after the attacks on the power plants.
The UN writes that so far the war in Ukraine has pushed 4 million children into poverty.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its damaging economic effects have pushed four million children into poverty in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, according to the United Nations.
– Children bear the heaviest burden in the economic crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, says a statement from the UN children’s fund Unicef.(Terms)Copyright Dagens Næringsliv AS and/or our suppliers. We would like you to share our cases using links, which lead directly to our pages. Copying or other forms of use of all or part of the content may only take place with written permission or as permitted by law. For additional terms see her.