A Royal Navy frigate patrols the North Sea amid warnings of ‘sabotage’ of Europe’s energy infrastructure.
The Defense Ministry confirmed earlier this week that a ship had been sent to ‘reassure’ workers in the gas industry.
A mysterious explosion that ruptured two natural gas pipelines has put safety around critical equipment in the spotlight.
Huge amounts of methane gas have leaked into the atmosphere after large amounts of explosives were used to blow apart pipes connected to Nord Stream 1 and 2.
The UK has not blamed any country for the incident, but Kremlin involvement is widely suspected and the government has condemned a ‘blatant attacks on civilian infrastructure’.
HMS Somerset, a Type 23 frigate, is reportedly working with Norwegian naval vessels to patrol the area.
An unnamed naval source told The times they are particularly interested in securing drilling rigs in the North Sea that move oil and gas to Britain and Scandinavia.
They said, ‘There are some uncertainties associated with that area and the infrastructure.
“The chances of something happening are slim, but people are concerned and what could be a better system than a ship with good radar and good sonar?”
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, urged countries to step up protection of critical sites by conducting stress tests and deploying satellite surveillance.
She said: “The acts of sabotage against Nord Stream pipelines have shown how vulnerable our energy infrastructure is.
“It is in the interest of all Europeans to better protect this critical infrastructure.”
Ben Wallace said this week that Britain will acquire two specialist vessels to protect submarine cables and pipelines.
The Defense Secretary, a “multi-purpose seabed warfare research vessel,” is set to be operational by the end of next year.
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