Russian vessels - commercial, military and research - are increasingly passing through the North Sea off the coast of Belgium, which poses a danger to the strategic infrastructure in the region, quoted by BTA.
This is stated in a report by local media, as the source of the information is the MP Theo Franken.
Last year, 166 cases of Russian ships in the region were registered, which is an increase of 50% compared to 2023. According to Franken, these vessels have been found several times to be conducting mapping in Belgian territorial waters, which cover an area of 3,500 square kilometers. He added that no damage to infrastructure in the area has been detected so far.
Franken stressed that these data point to a growing Russian threat to Belgium and that the country could become the subject of an incident similar to those in the Baltic Sea. He noted that some of the ships suspected of sabotaging maritime infrastructure in the Baltic have passed close to the Belgian coast.
The MP warned that Russian military and hybrid pressure is not limited to the war in Ukraine, but also includes interference in elections, internet piracy and sabotage. According to him, the North Sea is strategically important for Belgium, both in terms of security and for the country's economic interests. Franken called on the Belgian armed forces to have the means to effectively track Russian ships in the region.
Local media noted that in 2024, Belgian naval patrols carried out 63 operations to track Russian vessels. Some of the ships suspected of suspicious activity have also been spotted in the waters of neighboring Netherlands.