Gas Leaks In Russian Undersea Pipelines Stoke Accusations Of Sabotage

Denmark reports leak in Russian Nord Stream 2 offshore gas pipeline

Photo: Anadolu

European officials are investigating after three leaks were reported in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines that supply natural gas from Russia to Germany. Video taken by Denmark's military showed gas bubbling on the surface of the Baltic Sea. The gas leak caused a surface disturbance of 0.6 miles.

The gas leaks pose a risk of explosions and could cause ships to lose buoyancy if they get too close to the area. Officials said that it could take at least a week for the gas to stop leaking from the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

"The destruction that occurred on the same day simultaneously on three strings of the offshore gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system is unprecedented," said network operator Nord Stream AG. "It is not yet possible to estimate the timing of the restoration of the gas transport infrastructure."

Several government officials have said the gas leaks were the result of sabotage on the critical gas pipelines.

"Today we faced an act of sabotage, we don't know all the details of what happened, but we see clearly that it's an act of sabotage, related to the next step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.

"We are talking about three leaks with some distance between them, and that's why it is hard to imagine that it is a coincidence," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said.

Russian officials have not ruled out sabotage either.

"Indeed, we are talking about some damage of an unclear nature to the pipeline in Denmark's economic zone," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "No option can be ruled out right now."


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