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Three leaks have been discovered on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which deliver fuel to Europe from Russia. German security agencies now fear that Nord Stream 1 will be unusable forever following the major leaks, German daily Tagesspiegel reported, citing government sources. It comes as European leaders have highlighted possible “sabotage” by Russia with Ukraine calling it an “act of aggression” towards the EU.
Explosions rattled the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, with the second one corresponding to more than 100 kilos of dynamite, a seismologist from Sweden’s Uppsala University said. The leaks were then uncovered on pipelines running from Russia to Germany.
Denmark’s Defence Ministry released footage of the leaks, showing bubbles rising to the surface of the Baltic Sea. The largest patch of sea disturbance is 1km (0.6 miles) in diameter, it says.
Defence Minister Morten Bodsko said the leak is a “reason to be concerned” about the security situation in the waters, confirming that he has spoken to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg who attributed the leak to sabotage.
However, Mr Bodsko added that it could be one or two weeks before the leaks can be inspected due to the pressure inside the pipes and the amount of gas leaking.
He said: “Despite the war efforts in Ukraine, Russia has a significant military presence in the Baltic Sea region and we expect them to continue their sabre-rattling.”
However, Mr Bodsko added that it could be one or two weeks before the leaks can be inspected due to the pressure inside the pipes and the amount of gas leaking.
He said: “Despite the war efforts in Ukraine, Russia has a significant military presence in the Baltic Sea region and we expect them to continue their sabre-rattling.”
He went on to add that Denmark is “already strongly present in the Baltics with over 1,000 men”.
READ MORE: Von der Leyen vows ‘strongest possible response’ to pipeline sabotage
After speaking to Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen Ms von der Leyen said the bloc would investigate the incidents to get full clarity on the “events and why.”
“Any deliberate disruption of active European energy infrastructure is unacceptable and will lead to the strongest possible response,” she warned.
The Kremlin has denied sabotaging the pipeline, saying the claims are “predictable and predictably stupid”.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov added: “This is a big problem for us because, firstly, both lines of Nord Stream 2 are filled with gas – the entire system is ready to pump gas and the gas is very expensive… Now the gas is flying off into the air.
“Before making any claims, we should wait for an investigation into these ruptures, whether there was an explosion or not.”
Germany’s navy is contributing to the investigation into the leaks, said Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht, who added that the situation must be clarified and those responsible must be identified quickly.
“The presumed sabotage of the Baltic Sea pipelines is yet another reminder that we are dependent on critical infrastructure, also underwater,” said Lambrecht in a statement.
Sweden’s Prosecution Authority said it will review material from a police investigation before deciding on further action.
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