The Iron Stream operation aimed at ensuring the protection of selected critical elements of the energy infrastructure in Slovakia has so far involved 1,061 soldiers, Chief-of-General-Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces Daniel Zmeko told a press conference on Tuesday, adding that selected objects on the oil and gas pipeline are also monitored by helicopters, drones and other equipment.
No direct attack on this infrastructure has been recorded so far. "A total of 1,530 patrols have been carried out to date, 1,061 professional soldiers have been deployed to perform operational tasks, nearly 90,000 kilometres have been travelled by ground means of transport, and nearly 40 flight hours have been flown," said Zmeko. Monitoring by aerial means continues, all available means of ground reconnaissance (night observation devices, drones, optical observation) have been used. The 54th day of the operation is currently underway.
Zmeko further reported that there has been a major reduction in any attempts to monitor critical points. "We haven't recorded any direct attacks on critical infrastructure," he noted at a briefing after a demonstration of the security forces' intervention in monitoring and protecting critical infrastructure, which took place at the Malacky-Kuchyna airbase in Bratislava region.
Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Hlas-SD) pointed out that the Iron Stream operation started shortly before Christmas. "Approximately 100 points in our energy infrastructure were singled out as critical spots and these critical spots are currently under increased surveillance by the Slovak Armed Forces," she added. The intensity of the deployment of forces and assets, she said, depends on intelligence information.
Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok reiterated that at the end of last year the security forces managed to prevent a potential attack on critical infrastructure in eastern Slovakia as part of the Vostok action. Suspicious persons from Hungary and Ukraine, who, according to him, were monitoring critical infrastructure, were expelled.
Source: TASR
