The three leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines continue to pose a mystery. On Tuesday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke of indications of “deliberate interference”, while EU Council President Charles Michel wrote of “acts of sabotage”. Swedish seismologists also registered two explosions on the seabed.
So what could be the reason for the leaks in the gas-filled pipelines? Anders Puck Nielsen, advisor to the Royal Danish Defense College in Copenhagen, spoke in the newspaper “The Sun” of a “conspicuous” time of the alleged attack. At the same time, a gas pipeline between Norway and Poland was inaugurated to end dependence on Russia.
According to Puck Nielsen, sabotage is “technically not difficult. All it takes is a boat and a few divers who know how to handle explosive devices.” Nevertheless, the operation should have been carried out with, for example, camouflaged merchant ships passing the site. Another indication that it could be a government order. The British Guardian concludes that the use of submarines would have been quickly noticed at a water depth of 100 meters.
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According to the Danish military researcher Kenneth Øhlenschlæger Buhl, a second scenario is also possible: the use of combat drones. “The most obvious way to sabotage such a line is to detonate an explosive charge attached to the pipe,” Buhl told the Danish newspaper BT. Such an assembly can be done with underwater drones: “The drones are controlled remotely and then they glide down and locate exactly where the tubes are.”
Buhl also speaks of a well-planned act of sabotage: “Someone knew exactly where these gas lines were located.” With a civilian ship, such an operation “can be carried out easily in the middle of the night without arousing suspicion.”
For Anders Puck Nielsen, only one party is suspect: “If we look at who is actually benefiting from the circumstances that Europe’s gas markets are thrown into chaos: I think there is only one player who is benefiting from growing uncertainty – and that is Russia.”
However, the situation is not that clear: since the leak became known, a so-called “false flag operation” by Ukraine has been discussed in addition to Russian participation in order to further discredit Russia and end dependence on Russian gas. Radical activists could also be responsible for the alleged attack.
Although the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines are currently not in operation, they are filled with gas. Images and videos from the Danish military show a large carpet of bubbles on the surface of the Baltic Sea. According to environmentalists, this is not dangerous. Nevertheless, uncontrolled methane emissions pose a threat to the climate. The places were cordoned off to shipping. The Danish government assumes that it will take “at least a week” for the methane escaping from the pipes to be used up. Perhaps more will be known about the gas leaks by then.
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