Norway Drafts Civilian Evacuation Plan in Case of Possible Russian Invasion

Norway is preparing a civilian evacuation strategy that would be activated in the event of a Russian attack, Elisabeth Aarsæther, head of the Directorate for Civil Protection, said, according to VG on December 22.

She noted that the work is being carried out in close coordination with the country’s armed forces and police, and that authorities are currently identifying areas most at risk.

“These are regions geographically close to Russia, as well as locations where military facilities are situated,” Aarsæther told VG.

Discussions on evacuation planning have already been held in the northern Finnmark region, while officials in the municipalities of Tromsø and Sør-Varanger have also stressed the need for such preparations. Norwegian authorities are basing their approach on lessons learned from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including the likelihood of attacks on energy infrastructure.

“Based on the fact that Russia in Ukraine attacks civilian targets as well, we believe it is necessary to more broadly assess which sites in Norway could be subject to attack,” Aarsæther said.

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Officials have also highlighted Russia’s violations of international humanitarian law in occupied areas.

“The brutality Russia shows toward civilians in occupied areas is extremely high. We cannot allow even a single Norwegian to end up on the other side of an occupation line,” said Bardu Mayor Toralf Heimdal.

At the same time, the DSB is examining which municipalities could accommodate displaced residents, evaluating their capacity in healthcare, housing, and education. Authorities have indicated that developing and updating evacuation plans will be a key priority in 2026.

Earlier, it was reported that several Lithuanian ministries and state institutions are working on plans to evacuate large numbers of civilians in the event of a military conflict.

The Lithuanian Interior Ministry said that the effort follows an agreement defining how responsibilities will be divided in drafting and implementing a national evacuation strategy.

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