Russia has “the intent and ability” to sabotage the West’s critical infrastructure
Russia has ‘intent and ability’ to sabotage the West’s critical infrastructure by attacking submarine energy and communications lines, warns Ben Wallace
Russia’s enemies were warned yesterday that the country has the “intent and ability” to sabotage the West’s critical national infrastructure.
Launching a new security partnership with Norway, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace made it clear that Moscow had designed submarines and spy ships to attack underwater energy and communication lines.
Mr Wallace has also dropped his biggest clue yet that he wants to be the next head of NATO, saying the position that will become vacant this autumn would be ‘fantastic’.
He added: “I always said it would be a good job. That is a job I would like. But I also like the work I do now.’
The defense minister’s comments on Russia came as the UK and Norway signed a partnership to counter submarine threats following last year’s attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline.
Mr Wallace also dropped his biggest hint yet that he wants to be the next head of NATO, saying it’s a job he ‘would like’
“The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines last year is a concrete reminder of what is at stake here,” said Bjorn Arild Gram, Norway’s defense minister.
Along with his Norwegian counterpart Bjorn Arild Gram, Mr Wallace agreed that the two nations would enhance North Atlantic security by increasing their cooperation in detecting submarines and countering mine threats.
He said: “What we know is that the Russians have a work program, they have a specific naval program designed to look at and potentially sabotage or attack critical national infrastructure belonging to their adversaries.
“It has a number of submarines and other pieces of equipment and spyships and anything else specifically designed for that purpose.”
He added: “Russia has the intent and ability to target the critical national infrastructure of the West. We must have the intention and the ability to defend it.”
Britain and Norway have stepped up security patrols in the North Atlantic since the £16bn Nord Stream pipeline was blown up in September.
“The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines last year is a concrete reminder of what is at stake here,” said Mr. Gram yesterday while visiting Northwood military base in London.
He and Mr. Wallace signed a letter of intent to further collaborate in protecting critical energy infrastructure from submarine threats.