OSLO - Norway will put its military on a higher level of alert from Nov. 1 in order to sharpen security in response to the war in Ukraine, the country's prime minister said on Monday.

Norway is now the biggest exporter of natural gas to the European Union, accounting for around a quarter of all EU imports after a drop in Russian flows.

"This is the most severe security situation in several decades," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a news conference.

"There are no indications that Russia is expanding its warfare to other countries, but the increased tensions make us more exposed to threats, intelligence operations and influence campaigns," the prime minister said.

The Nordic country first deployed its military to guard offshore platforms and onshore facilities after the Sept. 26 Nord Stream pipeline leaks, and has also received support from the British, France and German navies.

(Reporting by Gwladys Fouche, editing by Terje Solsvik and Nora Buli; editing by Philippa Fletcher)