…….Says, ‘detonations’ damaged pipelines
A Swedish Security Service [SSS] has discovered that the orchestrated Nord Stream pipeline leaks in the Baltic Sea were caused by “detonations” that damaged the pipelines last week.
Nord Stream is a pair of offshore natural gas pipelines in Europe that runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. It comprises the Nord Stream 1 pipeline running from Vyborg in northwestern Russia, near Finland, and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline running from Ust-Luga in northwestern Russia near Estonia.
The pipelines link Russia to Germany and have been at the centre of geopolitical tensions as Moscow cut gas supplies to Europe in suspected retaliation against Western sanctions following the Ukraine invasion. Russia claims an inability to repair gas turbines because of the Western sanctions.
Also Read: Norway Deploys Soldiers To Protect Gas Assets After Nord Stream Sabotage
Yesterday, the SSS’s preliminary investigation “strengthened the suspicions of serious sabotage”, The Associated Press reported, adding that Swedish authorities have seized evidence from the scene to investigate further.
Four leaks, two in each of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, were discovered last week after gas started leaking earlier this week from the infrastructure just outside Swedish and Danish territorial waters in the Baltic Sea.
Nord Stream 2 was never put into operation after Germany axed the certification process following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On Monday, Norway deployed Home Guard soldiers to protect its energy infrastructure amid growing concerns that sabotage was behind the Nord Stream leaks.
Denmark has also said the leaks were “deliberate”, reporting that seismologists had detected explosions near the pipeline just prior to the leaks.
Also Read: Nord Stream Pipeline Leakage: Europe Vows to Unveil the Riddle of ‘sabotage’
While there is no official determination yet for the cause of the Nord Stream pipeline leaks, which took place miles from each other at the same time, Western officials believe Russia may have been involved in an attempt to increase energy price pressure on Brussels.
Russia, for its part, blames the U.S. for the alleged sabotage. Russia’s foreign ministry has said that leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines were in a zone controlled by US intelligence services, the RIA Novosti news agency reported on Thursday, as the fourth leak was reported.
Washington has continued to reject insinuations from Moscow that it was behind the leaks, calling them “ridiculous”.
On other hand, Russia has said suggestions from European officials that Moscow sabotaged the pipelines were predictably “stupid”.
Also Read: Russia Blames Siemens, Sanctions for Nord Stream 1 Shutdown
In recent days, European Union member states have been investigating sudden and unexplained leaks in the gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea.
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