After three leaks in the Baltic gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 were recently discovered, Sweden reported another leak in the damaged pipelines on Thursday morning. The fourth hole was also found this week, the newspaper “Svenska Dagbladet” quoted a Coast Guard spokesman as saying. The exact cause is unclear, but experts assume sabotage.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson described the alleged sabotage Wednesday evening as a warning and announced a stress test for critical infrastructure in Europe. “We (the EU Commission) will now contact all Member States and we will conduct a stress test on critical infrastructure,” said the Swede.
EU Commissioner: “We have a suspicion”
In view of the leaks in the pipelines, she spoke of an “attack” that was an “escalation” and “a threat”. “To my knowledge, it is a very intelligent attack that could not have been carried out by a normal group of people,” the commissioner said. The risk is high that there is a state behind it. “Of course we have our suspicions. But it’s too early to make a final judgment.”
Currently more questions than answers
US State Department spokesman Ned Price was also cautious about possible causes of the pipeline leaks. “We currently have more questions than answers.” The US government does not want to make any assumptions about possible persons behind a sabotage operation until the investigation into the natural gas pipelines is completed.
On Monday evening, a sharp drop in pressure was initially detected in one of the two tubes of the unused Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Later, the Nord Stream 1 operator also reported a pressure drop in these two tubes. The Danish authorities eventually discovered a total of three leaks in the two pipelines.
Unprecedented damage to European gas infrastructure
As early as Tuesday, several countries cited an attack on European gas infrastructure as the cause of the unprecedented damage. The EU and NATO assume sabotage. The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed speculation about Russian involvement in the damage to the pipelines as “stupid and absurd”.
Russia’s attorney general says it has launched a case against international terrorism. Moscow justified the move by saying that the damage to the pipelines had “inflicted significant economic damage on Russia”.
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.
