The Netherlands intends to temporarily enlist more troops and equipment from private enterprises to bolster security in its North Sea region, according to the Defence Ministry, which confirmed media reports on Wednesday.
The decision comes after MIVD, the Dutch military intelligence agency, reported last year that Russian sabotage actions were targeting Dutch North Sea infrastructure, such as gas pipes and windmills. MIVD stated in April that Russia may attempt to disrupt the various data hubs in the North Sea region.
According to a ministry official, “this measure is intended to bridge the gap until two new multifunctional support vessels can be deployed into the navy, expected in 2026.”
The ministry refused to say which businesses it had been corresponding with or whether it was exclusively speaking with European or Dutch businesses.
The Dutch section of the North Sea is one of the world’s busiest maritime zones, almost 1.5 times larger than the Netherlands’ land area.
Earlier this week, two undersea fibre-optic communications cables in the Baltic Sea were severed, including one connecting Finland and Germany, raising suspicions of sabotage.
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