Norway has issued thousands of “preparatory requisitions” to citizens, warning them that the army might need to seize their property if war breaks out with Russia. The country is facing the “most serious security policy since the second world war”, according to officials. Norwegian military has sent letters to the public with advance warnings to those with assets that might need to be taken over to ensure access to defence resources. Valid for one year, the requisition policy covers vehicles, boats, machinery and property, with approximately 13,500 “preparatory requisitions” issued on Monday.
The military said: “The requisitions are intended to ensure that, in a wartime situation, the armed forces have access to the resources necessary for the defence of the country.”
The letters come as little surprise to most recipients as two thirds of them are simply renewing requisition notices from previous years.
Anders Jernberg, the head of the military’s logistics organisation, said: “The importance of being prepared for crisis and war has increased dramatically in recent years.
“Norway is in the most serious security policy situation since the Second World War. Our society must be prepared for security policy crises and, in the worst case, war… we are undertaking a major build-up of military and civil preparedness,” he added.
Norway shares a maritime border with Russia, as well as a 123 mile-long land border. Russia and China want to expand their presence in the Arctic region, where Norway plays a key role in NATO surveillance. The melting of the ice caps has created a scramble to secure new shipping routes and lucrative raw materials, and Russia is building up old Soviet bases in the region as well as expanding its nuclear weapons stockpile.
Norway’s defence minister Tore O. Sandvik told The Telegraph: “Russia is building up on the Kola peninsula … where one of the largest arsenals of nuclear warheads in the world is located. They [the nuclear weapons] are not only pointed towards Norway, but towards the UK and over the pole towards Canada and the US.”
He added: “We are the eyes and ears of NATO in this area, and we see that they’re testing new weapons, for example, hypersonic missiles, and they are testing nuclear-driven torpedoes and nuclear warheads.”
While a full scale war is unlikely, recent airspace violations and military incidents near the Norway-Russia border have raised tensions. As Norway is a member of NATO, any direct attack on the nation would trigger the alliance’s collective defence obligations.
