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Wind farm in front of Ostend in Belgium (symbol image)
Photo: ERIC FEFERBERG / AFP
"We don't know the exact motives of this Russian ship, but let's not be naive": Belgium's Justice and North Sea Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne suspects Russian espionage after sighting a ship in the country's territorial waters.
This assumption is particularly likely "if it behaves suspiciously near our wind farms, underwater pipelines and data cables and other critical infrastructure," said Van Quickenborne.
The voyage of the ship "must undoubtedly be viewed in the broader context of the Ukraine war," the minister said.
The ship was therefore observed in November.
Previously, it was apparently in Dutch waters, as the military intelligence of the Netherlands announced.
In doing so, it had turned off its mandatory AIS radio, which allows authorities to identify and locate ships.
NATO wants to take action against underwater espionage
According to Van Quickenborne, the Belgian shipping authorities are working closely with those of other North Sea countries to increase safety.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine a year ago, the NATO countries have been strengthening their defenses, including against underwater sabotage.
In September, a series of underwater explosions destroyed parts of the Nord Stream pipelines carrying Russian natural gas to Germany.
According to the German Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, the investigations have so far produced no evidence that Russia is behind it.
Russia, for its part, speaks of "sabotage" on its pipelines and calls for an independent investigation.
In January, the EU and NATO set up a joint working group to protect Europe's vital infrastructure.
To this end, NATO set up a new coordination center at its Brussels headquarters in mid-February, to be headed by the retired German lieutenant general, Hans-Werner Wiermann.
fek/AFP
