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Norway Quietly Activates Wartime Playbook as Security Threats Mount in the North
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Norway’s armed forces are notifying thousands of citizens that their property could be requisitioned in the event of war, a move the military says is part of broader preparations for a potential national security crisis, according to euronews on January 19.
Beginning this week, roughly 13,500 Norwegians will receive official letters informing them that homes, vehicles, boats, and certain types of machinery may be taken over by the military if a conflict breaks out.
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The notices are purely preparatory and have no effect in peacetime, according to a statement from Norway’s defense authorities.
“The requisitions are intended to ensure that, in a wartime situation, the armed forces have access to the resources necessary for the defence of the country,” the military said.
The letters serve as advance legal notification and are valid for one year. About two-thirds of the notices being sent for 2026 are renewals issued to property owners who received similar warnings in previous years.
Norwegian military officials stressed that the initiative reflects a sharp deterioration in Europe’s security environment rather than any immediate threat.
“The importance of being prepared for crisis and war has increased dramatically in recent years,” said Anders Jernberg, head of the military’s logistics organization.
“Norway is in the most serious security policy situation since World War II. Our society must be prepared for security policy crises and, in the worst case, war,” he added.
“We are undertaking a major build-up of military and civil preparedness.”
Norway, a founding member of NATO, has significantly expanded its defense posture in recent years amid rising tensions in Northern Europe. The country shares a 198-kilometer land border and a maritime boundary in the High North with Russia, a factor that has driven increased focus on territorial defense and civilian resilience.
Russia has been intensifying intelligence-gathering efforts along its border with Norway by deploying operatives disguised as fishermen and tourists.
Norwegian authorities have identified several incidents involving Russian nationals entering the northern port city of Kirkenes under false pretenses. Some posed as tourists, while others arrived aboard fishing vessels later found to be engaged in espionage activity.
Officials emphasized that the letters are a routine legal mechanism, not a mobilization order, and are designed to ensure the armed forces can rapidly secure essential resources if Norway were ever drawn into a conflict.
Earlier, the Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces suggested that Russia could use the temporary occupation of an island in the northern Baltic as a possible means of escalating tensions in the region.
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