Netherlands to Use Private Firms to Safeguard North Sea Assets

The Netherlands has announced plans to temporarily hire private security personnel and equipment to protect critical offshore infrastructure in its section of the North Sea.

The Dutch Ministry of Defence confirmed earlier media reports, attributing the decision to intelligence warnings from the Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD). Last year, MIVD flagged offshore infrastructure, including gas pipelines and wind farms, as potential targets for Russian sabotage.

In a more recent update, MIVD also raised concerns in April that Russia might target the numerous data hubs located in the North Sea.

“This measure is intended to bridge the gap until two new multifunctional support vessels can be deployed into the navy, expected in 2026,” a ministry spokesperson said. The Defence Ministry did not disclose which private security firms will be involved.

The announcement comes shortly after an incident involving the Yi Peng 3, a 23-year-old panamax bulk carrier owned by Ningbo Yipeng Shipping. The ship is suspected of severing two data cables in the Baltic Sea.

The vessel, which departed from the Russian port of Ust-Luga bound for Port Said in Egypt, crossed the areas where the Swedish-Lithuanian and Finnish-German fiber-optic cables were cut last weekend. Currently idle in Danish waters, it is being monitored by a Danish naval vessel.

This situation mirrors a similar event in October last year when a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, along with a communication cable between Sweden and Estonia, was damaged. That incident involved the NewNew Polar Bear, a containership under Chinese control.