Putin & Russia

[monkeybarry]

Under sea cable infrastructure would be one, quite a few recent incidents.

Most of which have been confirmed as poor quality equipment and commercial ships anchors being the cause.

 

[monkeybarry]

A few from memory:

- GPS jams are quite common, especially close to the Russian border.
- Russian nationals have been arrested and expelled from Norway for entering high security areas illegally.
- Russian, or Russian connected trawlers/other vessels frequently navigate close to Norwegian military bases and undersea cables. Often with odd patterns of movement.
- Cyber attacks are common.
- Pro Russian vandalism/grafitti in Norwegian cities close to the border.
- Increased suspicious drone activity close to airports and military bases.

Police in northern Norway have reported a worrying increase in these "security threatening" incidents during the past few years.

I find it so hard to picture Russians in Norway.
It just feels like completely different ends of a scale. It's blown my mind a bit!

 

[monkeybarry]

Have you got a 'hard' border up there or is it simple to crossover if you wanted to?

Have a look on Google street view and satellite image - really fascinating!!!

 

[Robbo]

Have you got a 'hard' border up there or is it simple to crossover if you wanted to?

Very hard border now, but it used to be different. Traditionally there's been a lot of cross border contact, trade, etc. between Russians and Norwegians living close to the border. For those closest, there was a special permit that allowed them to travel back and forth more or less at their own will. Not anymore.

I find it so hard to picture Russians in Norway.
It just feels like completely different ends of a scale. It's blown my mind a bit!

Historically relations between the two people have been close up north, especially after the second world war when Russians drove the Germans back from Finnmark (the very northernmost county). They used to celebrate the liberation; I was there in 2019 for the 75th anniversary, along with Sergej Lavrov and the King of Norway, which shows how big an event this used to be.

 

[johnola]

I find it so hard to picture Russians in Norway.
It just feels like completely different ends of a scale. It's blown my mind a bit!

Weren’t the Rus originally from Scandinavia?

 

[monkeybarry]

Weren’t the Rus originally from Scandinavia?

Mate, I didn't even know they shared a border!

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

Mate, I didn't even know they shared a border!

I take it you know about the bit of Russia inside Poland and Lithuania?

 

[monkeybarry]

I take it you know about the bit of Russia inside Poland and Lithuania?

I do, yeah.
I just thought that little bit of Norway that borders Russia was actually Finland

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

I do, yeah.
I just thought that little bit of Norway that borders Russia was actually Finland

...I'm not testing you, honest.

 

[monkeybarry]

...I'm not testing you, honest.

I know.
I find it hilarious.
Re! The Rus and Scandinavia - I think you are right. Pretty sure I read that in a museum in central Europe somewhere.