– Thousands of Norwegians are expected to receive letters from the military on Monday informing them that their homes, vehicles, boats and machinery may be requisitioned in the event of war.
– “The requisitions are intended to ensure that, in a wartime situation, the armed forces have access to the resources necessary for the defence of the country,” the military said in a statement.
– Around 13,500 preparatory requisitions will be issued for 2026.
– The letters have no practical impact in peacetime other than to let owners know that the military may take over their goods in the event of a conflict.
– The request is valid for one year and roughly two-thirds of the letters sent in 2026 were renewals from previous years.
– “The importance of being prepared for crisis and war has increased dramatically in recent years,” the head of the military’s logistics organisation, Anders Jernberg, said in the statement.
– “Norway is in the most serious security policy situation since World War II. Our society must be prepared for security policy crises and, in the worst case, war,” he said.
– “We are undertaking a major build-up of military and civil preparedness.”
– Norway, one of the founding members of NATO, has beefed up its defences in recent years.
– The Scandinavian country shares a maritime border and 198-kilometre land border with Russia in the Far North.