With Russia already 'at war with us', UK must urgently defend key North Sea energy infrastructure
The long peace dividend following the fall of Communism is no more
In June last year, Fiona Hill, a co-author of the UK’s Strategic Defence Review and former White House adviser, argued Russia was “menacing the UK in various different ways” – cyberattacks, poisonings, sabotage and others – to the extent that it was already “at war with us”. In September, Eliza Manningham-Buller, a former head of MI5, said: “I think she may be right.”
Vladimir Putin’s regime has become expert at what defence analysts call “hybrid warfare”, which blends various techniques that usually, but not always, stop short of military force in order to weaken countries it regards as enemies.
So the Russian submarines tracked by the Royal Navy as they appeared to gather information about critical undersea infrastructure such as cables and pipelines may have been carrying out reconnaissance as a prelude to something more dramatic in the future.
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‘UK must step up’
Iran’s ability to cut off the Strait of Hormuz showed just how vulnerable the global economy is when energy supplies are cut off. And a significant act of sabotage against North Sea oil and gas facilities or offshore windfarms could have devastating consequences for the UK.
Writing in The Scotsman, Mark Wilson, director of energy operations at Offshore Energies UK and a former major in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, stressed: “Global events are showing energy infrastructure must be regarded as a strategic focus of international security, and the UK must step up and secure its homegrown energy assets.
“That is not a slogan; it is an agenda for government and industry alike. If we want a secure, affordable [energy] transition, we must protect the offshore infrastructure that supplies the oil and gas we still rely on today and the renewable energy we are building for tomorrow.”
Not that long ago, the idea of attacks on internet cables and oil pipelines was fanciful. Today it is a real threat and we must spend money on spare capacity and ensuring they are as secure as they can be – while also building up our Armed Forces.
It’s galling to write, but the long peace dividend following the fall of Communism is over, and we must prepare for the worst.
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