Russians spy on Norwegian coast under the guise of fishermen and tourists

In the border region of Kirkenes, the activity of Russian “civilians” is increasing, from crews of fishing vessels to people visiting as tourists.

The Norwegian military reports an increase in Russian intelligence activity in the border region of Finnmark. This is reported by SVT.

According to the commander of the Finnmark Brigade, John Olav Fuglem, there are cases where “tourists” and crews of fishing vessels are collecting sensitive information in the Kirkenes area. Against this background, the brigade is increasing its presence and plans to double its strength by 2032.

Local residents of border communities are involved in monitoring suspicious activity and pass on data to the military and police. Norwegian specialized publications and official sources describe a wider range of Russian “gray” operations in the region, from attempts to map infrastructure to contacts with military personnel and covert surveillance by “civilian” vessels.

The trend is intensifying in maritime and coastal areas, in particular due to ship traffic in the Barents Sea and along the Norwegian coast. Coordination with Finland and Sweden within NATO is key to deterring such threats.

Note that Finnmark is a strategically important city, as it borders the Kola Peninsula and the bases of the Russian Northern Fleet. It is here that Moscow practices its hybrid warfare tools against the countries of Northern Europe. USM previously wrote that the Russian Orthodox Church has acquired a number of facilities on the coast of Norway, which are located near important NATO military bases.