Belgium has launched an investigation towards a russian spy ship
22.02.2023 - 10:50
The photo shows a police boat in the Belgian part of the North Sea, May 2022.
Belgium has launched an investigation after a suspected russian spy ship was spotted off the coast of the North Sea. It could monitor pipelines and communications infrastructure.
The vessel was spotted back in November last year, after it was reported to be in the territorial waters of the Netherlands. The ship’s transponder was turned off, AFP reports.
Belgium’s justice minister (and part-time minister for North Sea affairs) Vincent Van Quickenborn said the authorities had launched their own investigation and were working to strengthen security with other countries in the region.
“The passage of this ship should undoubtedly be considered in the broader context of the war in Ukraine,” Quickenborn noted, adding: “We don’t know the exact motives of this russian ship, but let’s not be naive.” Especially if it is behaving suspiciously near our wind farms, underwater gas pipelines and data
It will be recalled that in September 2022, a series of underwater explosions destroyed sections of the Nord Stream pipelines. They used to transport russian gas to Germany.
Western countries blamed russia for the explosions, which blamed the West for the explosions. Denmark, Sweden and Germany have launched separate investigations into the incident.
Read also: Russian federation is planning new diversions in the North Sea
