Part 2/14:
Regional chief Johan Roaldsnes and his team are actively engaged in tracking Russian spies and monitoring suspicious activity. In this environment, suspicion is pervasive; locals and authorities alike are constantly vigilant, often feeling watched and scrutinized. Residents refer to Kirkenes as a “spy town” because of the pervasive sense of clandestine operations. The community’s heightened alertness stems from a series of recent incidents where Russian nationals engaged in reconnaissance activities, such as a Russian individual who drove for 14 hours to photograph Norwegian military infrastructure — only to be fined and banned from the country.