Norway proposes increasing the intelligence services’ budget to monitor Russia and strengthen Arctic defenses

The Norwegian government has proposed a substantial increase in resources allocated to intelligence services in its draft 2027 budget, to strengthen surveillance of Russia and assess threats in the Arctic region.

The budget of the foreign intelligence service, Etterretningstjenesten, is expected to increase next year by approximately 400 million kroner, equivalent to more than 37 million euros. Defense Minister Tore Sandvik said the authorities must quickly and accurately understand developments around Norway and be able to warn of risks.

The proposal also includes an additional 250 million kroner, more than 23 million euros, for the domestic intelligence service, PST.

Norway has a 198-kilometer land border with Russia in the Arctic and is considered NATO’s “eyes and ears” in the High North. The country lies near the Kola Peninsula, where Russia maintains a significant part of its nuclear arsenal.

The decision comes amid an intensification of incidents associated with hybrid warfare, following the escalation of Russia’s offensive against Ukraine. In recent weeks, Germany, Denmark and Poland have reported incidents attributed to Russia, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian drones of sinking a grain vessel near Romania. The information has not been independently confirmed by Romanian authorities.