On Norway's border with Russia, unease over military buildup

On Norway's border with Russia, unease over military buildup

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Under a soft winter sun in northern Norway, U.S. Marines train in the ice and snow as they learn how to fight in the freezing cold.

. Setermoen, Norway. Reuters/Stoyan Nenov
U.S. marines take part in "Reindeer 2", a Norwegian-U.S. military drill in Setermoen.

"Which country is to the northeast?" Staff Sergeant Daniel Croak bellows at a group of 20 soldiers in camouflaged combat jackets and white trousers in a pine forest near the town of Setermoen.

"Russia!" they shout back.

The troops are part of a contingent of 650 Marines staging a recent joint military exercise with 3,000 soldiers from NATO-member Norway at a time when both NATO and Russia have increased their military presence in the Arctic.

. Storskog, Norway. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov
A sign reading "Russia 490m" stands next to the checkpoint between Storskog and Borisoglebsk on the Norway-Russia border.

A few hundred kilometres from Setermoen, Russia is modernising its forces on the Kola Peninsula, home to its Northern Fleet. Russia has also carried out manoeuvres in recent weeks, staging a major submarine exercise in the North Atlantic, according to intelligence sources cited by Norwegian media.

"Do not use your GPSes. They may be jammed," Croak barks to the Marines, a warning stemming from NATO accusations - denied by Russia - that Moscow has in the past jammed GPS systems in Norway.

. Kirkenes, Norway. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov
Houses are seen amongst the surrounding landscape of Kirkenes.

The rising tension is unsettling many Norwegians, not least in the town of Kirkenes, which for three decades has been trying to foster cooperation with Russia.

Residents can cross the nearby border quickly with a visa-free permit. Many go to the nearby Russian town of Nikel to buy petrol because it is much cheaper there, and street signs use both the Cyrillic and Latin scripts.

. Kirkenes, Norway. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov
Ships are docked along the pier of the Kimek shipyard.

"I don't like it that they build up the military on both sides of the border. We don't want rising tensions," said Eirik Wikan, co-owner of the Kimek shipyard in Kirkenes, which gets two-thirds of its revenues from repairing Russian vessels.

"Here in the north, we work together to reduce tensions ...We are trying not to be part of them."

. Kirkenes, Norway. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov
An employee welds a metal plate at the Kimek shipyard.

Created in 1987, the shipyard quickly found business with the Soviet Union as it opened up under reform-minded leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

It is now doing a brisk trade and about a third of the company's 180 employees are Russian, 22 of whom work in the Russian port city of Murmansk.

. Kirkenes, Norway. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov
Chagin brushes snow off a car.

They include Nikolai Chagin, a 48-year-old mechanic from the Russian town of Severodvinsk who has worked for the shipyard in Kirkenes since 2006.

"I don't have those problems I used to have in Russia before: I have a good job, a normal salary ... there are only positives," he said.

. Kirkenes, Norway. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov
Shchetnev watches a rehearsal at the Samovar Theatre.

In the early 1990s, after the end of the Cold War and the Soviet Union's collapse, building regional cooperation became a foreign policy priority for Norway. About 10% of Kirkenes residents are now from the Kola Peninsula.

Kirkenes' Samovar theatre company performs in both Norway and Russia, and has Russian and Norwegians employees. Russian choreographer Nikolai Shchetnev feels at home and is thinking of applying for dual nationality.

. Kirkenes, Norway. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov
Rafaelsen speaks to journalists.

"Kirkenes is a Russian town in Norway," said Rune Rafaelsen, the mayor of Soer-Varanger municipality which includes Kirkenes.

He said he would not welcome more tanks on the border though he saw Norway's NATO membership as "a guarantee that I can do my job."

. Setermoen, Norway. Reuters/Stoyan Nenov
U.S. and Norwegian commanding officers take part in a ROC (rehearsal of concept) during "Reindeer 2".

Russia denies responsibility for the increase in tensions and blames the presence of U.S. Marines at Norwegian bases, which it sees as a security challenge.

But Norway's worries about Moscow's intentions grew after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and then staged Arctic military exercises including maritime manoeuvres with ballistic missile capable vessels present.

"These were clear messages from Moscow," said Lieutenant-General Rune Jakobsen, Commander of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters -- the Norwegian Armed Forces operational command centre. "Do not be part of (NATO's) ballistic-missile defence."

. Pasvik, Norway. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov
An observational tower overlooks the Russia-Norway border from the Norwegian side in Pasvik valley.

Despite the tensions, he says Russian forces are behaving less aggressively on the frontier with Norway than in some other border zones between Russia and NATO, such as the Baltic Sea.

In efforts to build trust, Jakobsen has in recent weeks had talks with the regional head of Russia's FSB security service in the Kola Peninsula, and met the newly appointed head of the Northern Fleet, Alexander Moiseyev, in Kirkenes.

"As a small nation neighbouring a superpower, you have to strike the right balance between deterrence and reassurance," Jakobsen said.

. Setermoen, Norway. Reuters/Stoyan Nenov
A soldier looks out from the top of a tank during "Reindeer 2" in Setermoen.

But conducting exercises jointly with the U.S. Marines in the field is also important for Norway's armed forces.

"Working together is what makes it possible to fight together, if we have to," said Brigadier Lars Lervik, commander of the Brigade North based in Setermoen.

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Slideshow

A view shows a World War Two monument To The Defenders of Soviet Arctic.
. Murmansk, Russia. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

A view shows a World War Two monument To The Defenders of Soviet Arctic.

Buildings stand within the centre of Murmansk.
. Murmansk, Russia. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

Buildings stand within the centre of Murmansk.

People walk through the snow on a street in Murmansk.
. Murmansk, Russia. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

People walk through the snow on a street in Murmansk.

Christina, 18, a Norwegian student who studies at the Russia-Norway school walks back to her dormitory after a class in Murmansk.
. Murmansk, Russia. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

Christina, 18, a Norwegian student who studies at the Russia-Norway school walks back to her dormitory after a class in Murmansk.

The Aurora Borealis (Northern lights) shines over the memorial To Soldiers of the 1st Air Defence Corps to Abram Mys, outside Murmansk.
. Abram Mys, Russia. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

The Aurora Borealis (Northern lights) shines over the memorial To Soldiers of the 1st Air Defence Corps to Abram Mys, outside Murmansk.

An employee welds a steel construction at the Olen Betong factory in Murmansk.
. Murmansk, Russia. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

An employee welds a steel construction at the Olen Betong factory in Murmansk.

A sign with a picture of Vladimir Putin that reads "Dear colleagues, keep clean!" is hung amongst tools at the Olen Betong factory outside Murmansk.
. Murmansk, Russia. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

A sign with a picture of Vladimir Putin that reads "Dear colleagues, keep clean!" is hung amongst tools at the Olen Betong factory outside Murmansk.

Norwegian and Russian students play a game of volleyball during a PE lesson at the Russia-Norway school in Murmansk.
. Murmansk, Russia. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

Norwegian and Russian students play a game of volleyball during a PE lesson at the Russia-Norway school in Murmansk.

Freight trains pass through Murmansk.
. Murmansk, Russia. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

Freight trains pass through Murmansk.

A Russian flag hangs from outside of Svyatoy Spiridon, a fishing trawler docked in Kirkenes.
. Kirkenes, Norway. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

A Russian flag hangs from outside of Svyatoy Spiridon, a fishing trawler docked in Kirkenes.

A sailor prepares to offload fishing equipment from a snow crab fishing vessel, at the Kimek shipyard.
. Kirkenes, Norway. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

A sailor prepares to offload fishing equipment from a snow crab fishing vessel, at the Kimek shipyard.

Fishing equipment is laid out on the pier of the Kimek shipyard.
. Kirkenes, Norway. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

Fishing equipment is laid out on the pier of the Kimek shipyard.

Patrol leader Joergen Aas (left) and radio operator Thomas Lundmann patrol the Norwegian side of the Russia-Norway border in Pasvik valley.
. Pasvik, Norway. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

Patrol leader Joergen Aas (left) and radio operator Thomas Lundmann patrol the Norwegian side of the Russia-Norway border in Pasvik valley.

Patrol leader Joergen Aas (right) and radio operator Thomas Lundmann patrol the Norwegian side of the Russia - Norway border in Pasvik valley.
. Pasvik, Norway. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

Patrol leader Joergen Aas (right) and radio operator Thomas Lundmann patrol the Norwegian side of the Russia - Norway border in Pasvik valley.

Soldiers warm themselves around a fire in their camp during "Reindeer 2" in Setermoen.
. Setermoen, Norway. Reuters/Stoyan Nenov

Soldiers warm themselves around a fire in their camp during "Reindeer 2" in Setermoen.

A lit flare streaks through the sky during a night exercise during "Reindeer 2" in Setermoen.
. Setermoen, Norway. Reuters/Stoyan Nenov

A lit flare streaks through the sky during a night exercise during "Reindeer 2" in Setermoen.