Norway will halt the entry of Russian citizens traveling for tourism and other “non-essential” purposes from May 29, regardless of the issuing country of their Schengen visa, the government in Oslo announced.
Exceptions may include Russian citizens traveling to visit close relatives or for work and study in Norway or the Schengen Area.
The change implies that the police can refuse entry to Russian citizens covered by the order. “They will be deported if they attempt to cross the border. This applies both to the Storskog border checkpoint and at Norway’s external border in general, Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl announced.
The increasing threat from Russia is the reason Norway is closing its borders. European intelligence agencies have alerted their governments that Russia likely plans a series of sabotage actions in Europe, as it settles into a permanent conflict with the West, reported by the Financial Times.
According to analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War, the Russian security services are likely to ramp up sabotage operations in European countries to disrupt the influx of renewed U.S. security aid to Ukraine. They are also expected to continue hybrid operations aimed at fomenting discord in Europe ahead of the European Parliament elections scheduled for next month.
Western officials warn that Russian intelligence services plan to increase sabotage activities and other hybrid operations against NATO member states. The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) and the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) warned of an increased threat of Russian sabotage against Norwegian arms suppliers and other institutions involved in military supplies to Ukraine.
PST’s counterintelligence chief, Inger Haugland, stated that Russia plans for sabotage activities in western Norway, where there are naval bases and oil and gas infrastructure. Haugland added that, in recent times, Russian security services have used individuals who are not Russian citizens to carry out sabotage activities in Poland, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Earlier, Torgils Lutro, head of the Norwegian police in western Norway, noted that Russian intelligence agents are operating in the region and may be preparing sabotage against critical infrastructure sites.
Western Norway is home to Haakonsvern, the largest naval base in Northern Europe, as well as key oil and gas facilities, power plants, and other related electrical infrastructure.
