Russian fighter jets, flying in attack formation, headed straight for the far northern town of Vardø on a winter’s day last year, simulating an attack on the military surveillance radar station based there. They veered away just before entering Norwegian air space, in a move seen as aimed at intimidation.
Lt Gen Morten Haga Lunde, head of Norway’s military intelligence service E-tjenesten, described the attack in a speech shortly after releasing his agency’s annual threat assessment on Monday. The report ranked Russia and China as posing the biggest threats to Norwegian security.
Kristian Åtland of the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment believes the mock attack was aimed at “influencing or intimidating” Western political or military decision makers.
“The Russians know their fighter jets are being tracked … when they operate in this region and approach Norwegian installations, bases or naval exercise areas in attack formation,” Åtland told the Barents Observer. “This is Russia’s way of conveying its displeasure with political or military developments in the country’s northwestern neighbour.”
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newsinenglish.no staff
