General Eirik Kristoffersen, Commander-in-Chief of the Norwegian Armed Forces, stated that Oslo cannot rule out a potential Russian ground invasion of the country's northern territories. According to him, such a scenario is possible not for the purpose of seizing new lands, but as part of Russia's plan to ensure the security of its own nuclear arsenal, concentrated near the Norwegian border. This is reported by The Guardian, writes UNN.
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The main threat is related to the Kola Peninsula, where a significant part of Russia's nuclear forces is based, including submarines and intercontinental missiles.
Kristoffersen noted that these assets are the only factor that truly threatens the United States, and in the event of a conflict with NATO in other regions, Moscow may try to create a "buffer zone" on Norwegian territory. This is necessary for the aggressor to guarantee the possibility of launching a retaliatory nuclear strike.
The general emphasized that although Russia currently does not have such goals regarding the conquest of Norway, as was the case with Ukraine, the scenario of seizing border areas remains relevant in the plans of the Russian General Staff.
We are not taking this issue off the agenda, because for Russia it remains an option to protect its second-strike capability
In addition to the threat of a full-scale invasion, Kristoffersen pointed to the increasing activity of Russian sabotage groups and hybrid attacks in the polar regions.