Intelligence Agency Says Russia Targets Dutch North Sea Infrastructure

Illustration of mills in the Netherlands. (Wikimedia Commons/SJ de Waard)

JAKARTA - Russia has in recent months been trying to obtain intelligence, in order to sabotage critical infrastructure in the Dutch North Sea, the Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD said on Monday.

A Russian ship has been detected in one of the offshore wind farms in the North Sea while it is trying to map energy infrastructure, MIVD Chief Gen. Jan Swillens told a news conference.

The ship was escorted out of the North Sea by Dutch coastguard ships and marines, before the attempted sabotage succeeded, he added.

"We've seen in recent months Russian actors trying to unravel how the energy system works in the North Sea. This is the first time we've seen this," General Swillens said, quoted by Reuters, February 21.

"Russia is mapping out how wind farms in the North Sea will function. They are very interested in how they can sabotage energy infrastructure," he explained.

Dutch intelligence agencies, MIVD and AIVD, in a joint report published on Monday said critical offshore infrastructure such as internet cables, gas pipelines and wind farms had been the target of Russian sabotage activities.

"Russia is covertly mapping this infrastructure and carrying out activities that indicate preparations for intrusion and sabotage," the two agencies said.

The veiled threat by Russia to water and energy supplies in the Netherlands can also be foreseen, they added.

Earlier, the Netherlands said on Saturday it would expel an undisclosed number of Russian diplomats, accusing Russia of continuing to bring in spies under diplomatic guise.

The Netherlands also ordered Russia to close its trade mission in Amsterdam, adding that it would close the Dutch consulate in Saint Petersburg.