Ukraine drone warfare could inspire attacks on UK offshore infrastructure, expert warns
OEUK conference focuses on North Sea security
The use of drone technology by Ukraine in its war with Russia could inspire malevolent actors intent on targeting offshore infrastructure in the UK, according to a leading energy security expert.
Dan Marks, research fellow in energy security at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said the offshore sector was facing numerous security challenges driven by “technological transformation” as well as geopolitical factors.
Ukraine has had considerable success with its use of drones, not least via its targeting of Russian oil infrastructure. In recent days, multiple strikes in the Black Sea port of Tuapse led to operations being halted at a key export refinery.
Amid heightened geopolitical tensions and a focus on the UK’s preparedness for any attacks, Mr Marks said Ukraine’s transformational use of drones in its conflict was just one example of a rapidly shifting tech environment that underlined the need for new defence approaches.
“The challenge we have is that there are multiple transformations happening at the same time, and most directly relevant to the security environment is the technological transformation of warfare, weaponry, and the ability to target energy,” he explained. “This has been really honed by Ukraine to a large extent, targeting Russian infrastructure using different types of drone technologies which could potentially be used in non-attributable ways.”
“There will be actors watching that quite carefully and seeing what works and what doesn’t. That kind of technological change creates a new capability and a new need to defend and prepare differently.”
Mr Marks was among the speakers at Offshore Energies UK’s (OEUK) security and resilience conference on Wednesday. The Aberdeen event, attended by leading security specialists and industry leaders, focused on how best to protect the North Sea.
Asked if the security threat facing the sector was a greater challenge given the disparate geography involved, Mr Marks said that while offshore was generally more secure in the face of potential attacks such as arson, there were “critical nodes” that were “a long way from shore.”
“We’re sending destroyers out to the Middle East to defend against drones, and to UK bases in Cyprus - we can’t be there, and in the North Sea, and other parts of the world necessarily defending all of the infrastructure at once.”
Mark Wilson, energy operations director at OEUK, told The Scotsman the conference was a crucial way of improving resilience and communication across the industry.
He said: “We recognise the uncertainty and complex nature of the threat landscape we see globally, and how that’s playing out in the UK. Although we’ve not had any direct attack on the UK energy system, we can’t be complacent, and we’ve got to ensure we’re coming together at events like this and building networks.”
Asked if the deteriorating security environment increased the risk of state actors targeting the sector, Mr Wilson added: “We saw the High North activity in the Atlantic which was intercepted by the Ministry of Defence. In some areas of the North Sea, such as in Norway and Denmark, there has been drone activity a year or two ago
“There’s certainly heightened awareness and we’re ensuring our processes and people continue to evolve and adapt.”
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