According to the statement made by the Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Norway, which shares a border with Russia in the North Pole and is a member of NATO, announced that, military preparations have increased. However, the Prime Minister also underlined that these preparations were not made based on a direct threat.

Prime Minister Store, in a statement, said, “The army will increase the state of preparedness in Norway from tomorrow. Now, we have no reason to believe that Russia wants to involve Norway or any other country directly in the war. But the war in Ukraine is a challenge for all NATO countries. It means they must be more and more vigilant.”

Norway has increased security around strategic sites following surveillance of drone flights near offshore oil and gas platforms and suspected sabotage of Nord Stream’s Baltic Sea pipelines. In recent weeks, several Russians have been arrested in Norway for illegally flying drones and failing to comply with photo restrictions in restricted areas. Norway’s counterintelligence service announced that it has arrested a Russian man on the grounds that he may be a senior officer of the Russian Intelligence Service and is suspected of being a Russian spy.

Prime Minister Store said, “I must underline that there was nothing in the last day or days that prompted us to increase our preparations. It is an evolution over time that has driven us to take this step”. Norwegian Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram said that the move will include measures related to logistics, communications security, and security at military installations. Norway’s chief of defense, General Eirik Kristoffersen said that the armed forces will redefine their priorities to handle the changing security situation.

It is reported that one or more F-35 stealth fighter aircraft, which will be deployed for development tests in the USA, will remain in Norway. Kristoffersen added that the government will also push the United States to speed up the delivery of state-of-the-art P-8 maritime patrol aircraft. Amidst rising tensions between Russia and the West, Oslo has already increased its military budget and intelligence work in Northern Norway, where it shares a 198 kilometer border with Russia.