Natural gas continues to flow from the three damaged pipelines into the Baltic Sea with unchanged power. And it could very well be that the Nord Stream pipes will be rendered useless forever, because the more salt water that gets in, the greater the risk of corrosion. While the EU has still not officially named a suspect, German security authorities suspect combat divers placed explosives and then detonated them.
According to the German Tagesspiegel, a crisis team is already in action in Berlin to investigate the case of sabotage. According to the report, federal police will now intensify their surveillance of German sovereign waters – especially where critical infrastructure is involved. These include submarine cables and liquefied gas terminals, which are currently under construction.
Security zones set up for ships
The leaks are located partly in the Danish, partly in the Swedish exclusive economic zone. After the discovery, both countries had established safety zones for shipping. Ships are not allowed to pass through the area around the leaks within a radius of five nautical miles (almost 9.3 kilometers). “If ships stay outside this zone, there is no risk to the crew,” said a spokesman for the Swedish Coast Guard. They are on site with a ship with specially trained crew and keep an eye on the leaks.
The German navy will participate in the investigation into the alleged sabotage. The incident shows that Germany is dependent on critical infrastructure, including underwater, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said in Berlin. “The circumstances of this disturbing event must now be quickly clarified and those responsible identified.”
Kremlin: Russia has no interest in failure
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the accusations of sabotage in his daily phone call to journalists as “predictably stupid and absurd”. Russia also does not know exactly what happened to the pipelines at the moment. Russia has no interest in the pipelines failing and neither does Europe. He can’t say when the pipes will be repaired. At the same time, Peskow referred to the large profits that American companies are making from gas supplies to Europe. Peskov called on Russia to be involved in clarifying the incidents.
According to reports, the Federal Intelligence Service is now also investigating ship movements a few days before the explosions. In this regard, social media reported the presence of a US fleet led by the USS Kearsarge near the pipelines five days before the accident.
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.
