OMV also vulnerable – secret services: pipelines also a target for us

Fight loons blowing up leaks in gas pipelines on the Baltic seabed and suspecting sabotage after a deflagration with two injured at OMV’s main oil processing distillation plant on the outskirts of Vienna – what sounds like a Hollywood spy thriller scenario is the cold reality of an economic war. In any case, international secret services warn against further attacks on the vulnerable vital infrastructure in European countries.

Group is not cooperative
Also in Austria, the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN) is investigating unknown or “foreign powers”, ie foreign agents after the mysterious mini-explosion. Even if it is not intentional. However, OMV maintains that an accident during the last pressure test after maintenance work has practically paralyzed refinery production since early June. The fact is that the group did not exactly cooperate with the security authorities – as also reported by the “Kurier”. And these are the allegations behind closed doors.

Energy giant “defends” itself against investigations
After the routine report of a “mechanical incident” to the Ministry of Energy, the investigators who were actually responsible at the state criminal investigation department in Lower Austria were not called. Officials were only able to visit the accident site briefly. In addition, state security cybercrime specialists were rejected citing their own experts. In general, the urge to investigate suspected sabotage was dismissed as unnecessary.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) is also concerned. “Due to the current international security situation, the protection of critical infrastructure is the focus of state security activities. The risk assessment is carried out in close cooperation with European partners and Austrian companies and the Ministry of Climate Protection,” says Karner.