Angle grinder used to cut telecommunications cable to NATO’s northernmost QRA base

Nordland Police District has provided a photo of the key communication cable that last April was cut. Two deeper and two shallow cuts were made before the saboteur(s) managed to cut off the cable. 

No suspects are in the spotlight after the investigation, says police attorney Runar Mellem Robertsen to newspaper Fremover (paywall). 

Consequently, the State Prosecutor in Nordland has decided to drop the case. 

The cable was cut outside the military area at Evenes Air Station, but is still considered to be key infrastructure. 

Evenes Air Station is one of the most important for Norway and NATO inside the Arctic Circle. Located between the towns of Narvik and Harstad, the base is home to a pair of F-35 fighter jet ready for takeoff on short notice as part of NATO’s Quick Reaction Alert (QRA). 

These are the fighter jets that first will meet and identify Russian military aircraft flying out of the Kola Peninsula for missions over international airspace outside northern Norway. 

Evenes is also home to Norway’s fleet of P-8A maritime patrol aircraft used to track Russian nuclear powered submarines sailing the Barents- and Norwegian Seas. 

Last week, the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) said in its annual threat assessment report it is likely that Russian intelligence will try to carry out sabotage actions against targets in Norway in 2025. 

“Russia remains the greatest threat against security in Europe. Over the past year, Russia has demonstrated its resolve and ability to carry out sabotage operations on European soil. It is likely that this may also affect Norway,” said Beate Gangås, Chief of the Norwegian Police Security Service. 

Norway has seen several suspicious incidents in recent years with cutting of subsea cables, both to Svalbard in the high Arctic and outside Lofoten archipelago.