A suspected Russian spy ship was seen off Belgium's North Sea coast, prompting the country to launch an investigation over fears that it was watching key energy and communications centres, a minister said on Tuesday.
The boat was seen in November after being reported in Dutch waters with its AIS beacon, a compulsory device allowing shipping authorities to identify and track vessels, switched off.
"We don't know the exact motives of this Russian ship, but let's not be naive," said Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne, who is also Belgium's Minister for the North Sea.
"Especially if it behaves suspiciously near our wind farms, undersea gas pipelines and data cables, and other critical infrastructure."
Mr Van Quickenborne said Belgian maritime authorities had begun their own investigation and were working with other North Sea coastal states to increase security.
"The passage of this vessel should doubtless be seen in the broader context of the war in Ukraine," the minister's office said.
Russia's already tense relations with the West hit a low last year when Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, and EU and Nato members, including Belgium, responded with sanctions.
Russia and Ukraine conflict latest - in pictures
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A tank, seen left, fires a round in Soledar, a town in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Reuters -
Tank fire in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters -
Firefighters work to put out a blaze at a Kharkiv fireworks storage site after it was struck by a Russian missile. Getty -
Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, visits his troops on the frontline in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters -
A Ukrainian flag attached to a tank flutters in the wind in Bakhmut. Reuters -
A specialist from an emergency crew works on a residential building in Donetsk that was damaged in recent shelling. Reuters -
A missile fragment left by shelling in Russian-controlled Donetsk. AP -
Residents remove debris and carry their belongings out of a building destroyed by recent shelling in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters -
Ukrainian forces fire an anti-aircraft weapon as Russia's attack on the frontline city of Bakhmut continues. Reuters -
A car drives past a destroyed building purported to have been used as temporary accommodation for Russian soldiers, dozens of whom were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike in Makiivka, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters -
The site of a temporary barracks for Russian soldiers in Makiivka, which was destroyed in a Ukrainian missile attack. Reuters -
A Ukrainian serviceman carries his injured comrade from the battlefield to a hospital in the Donetsk region. AP -
Smoke rises after shelling in Soledar, the site of heavy battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk region. AP
Nato powers have supplied Ukraine with advanced weapons and have been looking to shore up their own defences, including against any covert maritime sabotage.
In September last year, underwater bombings destroyed sections of the Nord Stream pipelines that had previously carried Russian natural gas to Germany.
Western countries have blamed the September pipeline explosions on Russia, but Moscow has accused the US of sabotage, and neither side has produced conclusive evidence.
Putin: The West is threatening Russia's existence with Ukraine war - video
On January 11, Nato and the EU set up a joint working group to reinforce the protection of Europe's vital infrastructure, in particular energy supplies.
Mr Van Quickenborne said the suspect ship had appeared to pay particular attention to Belgium's offshore wind farms.
