Jamie Stone secures meeting with minister over alleged Russian spying in North Sea
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Jamie Stone has secured a meeting with defence minister Andrew Murrison amid concerns over an alleged Russian spy ship that has been "snooping around" the Beatrice wind farm site.
The Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross will be asking what further measures the UK government will take to protect national energy infrastructure in light of Russian activity in the North Sea.
It follows a point of order raised by Mr Stone in parliament on Wednesday, during which he called on the government to make a statement.
Broadcasters in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland who carried out a joint investigation claimed that Russia has a fleet of vessels disguised as trawlers and research boats operating in parts of the North Sea, including the Moray Firth.
In a documentary series that had its premiere last week, journalists from DR, NRK, SVT and Yle allege Russia is waging "hybrid warfare" which includes espionage activity and advanced underwater programmes – prompting fears about possible sabotage to wind farms and communication cables in the North Sea.
The broadcasters focused on a Russian ship, the Admiral Vladimirsky, officially classed as an underwater research vessel. They allege that it is actually a spy ship, part of a fleet checking key energy sites.
Mr Stone, who declared last week it was inconceivable that a hostile state should be allowed to pose such a threat, said on Thursday: "I am reassured that the government has agreed to meet with me to discuss the threat of Russian spy ships cruising in the North Sea. The Admiral Vladimirsky was spotted near the Beatrice wind farm, the electrical interconnector to my constituency and a significant supplier of renewable energy across the whole of the UK.
"The North Sea is home not only to the Beatrice wind farm but also to our oilfields. Together, these make up the Crown Jewels of the UK's energy infrastructure.
"To allow Russia unchecked access to the North Sea is far too risky for our national energy security and I am glad that the government recognises the urgency of this situation."
Speaking in the Commons on Wednesday, Mr Stone warned that the Admiral Vladimirsky had been "cruising off the coast of my constituency" and "snooping around" the Beatrice wind farm and oilfields.
"I regard this as a very important security issue," he said. "It affects the United Kingdom and our security in terms of energy."
The £2.5 billion Beatrice wind farm is 13km from the Caithness coast at its nearest point. It is Scotland's second largest offshore wind farm, with 84 turbines giving a capacity of 588MW.
Explosions last September on the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines between Russia and Europe are suspected to have been a result of sabotage.
A UK government spokesperson said: “Our priority will always be maintaining our national security. That is why we increased Royal Navy presence patrols after the Nord Stream incident and have invested £65 million in the first of our two multi-role ocean surveillance ships.”
