Polish energy infrastructure on alert for possible terrorist attack

By Jo Harper

WARSAW (AA) – Poland’s prime minister on Thursday signed an order putting the nation on its second-highest alert level for national energy infrastructure located outside the country, indicating its pipeline to Norway under the Baltic Sea.

The move by Mateusz Morawiecki indicates that Polish services have information about a potential threat and so the public administration is obliged to be particularly vigilant.

At risk is gas transmission through the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline linking Norwegian gas fields and northern Poland. The pipeline is part of wider moves by Warsaw to end Poland’s dependence on Russian gas. Its official opening in late September coincided with the first of four attacks on Nordstream gas pipelines connecting Russia and Germany.

Morawiecki’s order is valid from Oct. 6 to Nov. 30, the Government Center for Security announced.

"This degree is introduced in the event of an event confirming the probable purpose of a terrorist attack in cyberspace or obtaining reliable information about a planned event," said the center.

Alert levels are a signal for the services to be ready for action.

The second alert level – Bravo – is the second-highest on a four-point scale and is introduced in the event of an increased and foreseeable threat of a terrorist event.

Bravo imposes the obligation to carry long weapons for police officers and the military police, as well as inspections of vehicles or buildings "in endangered regions." The public should be "vigilant" and inform the services as soon as they notice something suspicious.

The prime minister had previously introduced a second Bravo alert level throughout Polish territory.