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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 statement said.
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.
Additional sources • AFP