On Monday, tremors were measured in the area of the Baltic Sea where uncontrolled gas is currently leaking from the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. A seismograph on the Danish island of Bornholm recorded earthquakes twice — once at 2 a.m. local time and again at 7 p.m., the German research center GFZ reported Tuesday. The massive release of energy would indicate an explosion, experts say.
“We have recorded two fairly large explosions that we believe coincide with the gas leaks from the Nord Stream pipeline. The source of these explosions, as far as we can determine, is not natural,” Uppsala University seismologist Peter Schmidt told AFP. The exact source can only be speculated on.
“Probably Explosions”
“If these are really explosions, which we think are very likely, then of course they were man-made in some way,” the scientist said. In particular, the amount of energy released and the short time in which this energy is released suggests that the measured vibrations were explosions, Schmidt says. If it had been a rupture (of the pipelines, mind you), it would have been a longer period of time, the expert said.
Schmitt’s research colleague Bjorn Lund of the Swedish Seismological Center at Uppsala University follows the same line: “There is no doubt that these were explosions,” he told Swedish public television channel SVT. The GFZ also sees no indications of an earthquake, but would not say whether the deflections of the measuring device indicate sabotage of the gas pipes.
GFZ: No Evidence of Earthquakes
The GFZ would not say whether the deflections of the measuring device were caused by explosions, which indicate sabotage of the gas pipes. But there is no evidence of earthquakes.
Ukraine sees a terrorist act by Russia
Ukraine blames Russia for the leaks in the two Nord Stream pipelines. “This is nothing more than an act of terror planned by Russia and an act of aggression against the EU,” external adviser to Ukraine’s presidential office Mykhailo Podoliak wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. Moscow wants to destabilize the economic situation in Europe and create “panic before winter”.
After three leaks in a short time on Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, sabotage cannot be ruled out. In Poland, Russia and Denmark, a targeted attack on European gas infrastructure would cause unprecedented damage to both pipelines. The exact cause of the damage is still unclear.
Danish fighter jet filmed gas leaks
Since Monday, uncontrolled gas has been leaking from the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines from Russia to Germany at three points near the island of Bornholm. The Danish Navy released images on Tuesday of large-scale bubble formation on the sea surface (pictured above) in the Baltic Sea.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
