Netherlands Reinforces North Sea Security Amid Sabotage Fears

The Netherlands Defense Ministry plans to hire private firms to enforce North Sea security against sabotage threats, reportedly from Russian forces. This move follows intelligence reports of Russia targeting infrastructure, and will hold until new naval vessels arrive by 2026, though company details remain undisclosed.

The Netherlands' Defense Ministry has announced plans to temporarily employ additional personnel and equipment from private companies to enhance the security of the North Sea, following media reports and confirmation from the ministry. This initiative comes after Dutch military intelligence, the MIVD, revealed that Russian forces might be targeting vital Dutch North Sea infrastructure like gas pipes and wind farms for sabotage.

A spokesperson from the ministry emphasized that this is a temporary measure to fill the gap until two new multifunctional support vessels can join the navy's fleet, with their deployment expected in 2026. However, the ministry has refrained from disclosing which companies have been approached, or whether they are solely Dutch or include other European entities.

The North Sea region is crucial for global shipping and is larger than the land area of the Netherlands itself. This week, suspicions of sabotage were heightened when undersea fibre-optic cables in the nearby Baltic Sea were severed, affecting connections between Finland and Germany.

(With inputs from agencies.)