The Hague: A top Dutch intelligence official on Monday accused a Russian ship of trying to map Dutch wind parks in the North Sea with a view to disrupting the Netherlands’ electricity infrastructure.

Major-General Jan Swillens, head of military intelligence, said the Russian ship entered Dutch territorial waters “in recent months” but was escorted out by the Dutch coastguard and navy.

“What we have seen in recent months is that Russian actors have been trying to understand how the energy supply in the North Sea is organised, with the intention of disrupting it,” Swillens told journalists.

“The attempt was not successful,” Swillens said, adding “the ship was escorted by the Dutch coastguard and the navy”.

He declined to give further information.

Swillens and Dutch intelligence services chief Erik Akerboom said the incident had no connection to the expulsion of several Russian diplomats and the closure of Russia’s trade mission in Amsterdam, which the Netherlands announced on Saturday.

“Despite the outcome of the war in Ukraine, Russia will most likely continue to be a threat to the Netherlands in the long run,” concluded a Dutch intelligence report released on Monday.

“The Netherlands must take into account that the war in Ukraine and its consequences will probably last for a long time,” Swillens added.

“The outcome of this war will determine our future security and prosperity,” he said.

“If the West does not maintain unity against Russia, Moscow would probably conclude that aggression pays off,” Swillens said.