{"id":11633,"date":"2022-09-28T12:40:16","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T10:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=11633"},"modified":"2022-09-28T12:40:19","modified_gmt":"2022-09-28T10:40:19","slug":"nord-stream-pipeline-leaks-spark-sabotage-fears-in-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/nord-stream-pipeline-leaks-spark-sabotage-fears-in-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"Nord Stream pipeline leaks spark sabotage fears in Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>European leaders have said that sabotage is the most likely cause of leaks in two Nord Stream gas pipelines&nbsp;between&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;and Europe after reported explosions around the Baltic Sea lines.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The leaks occurred in the Danish and Swedish economic zone north of Poland. Denmark\u2019s military issued images and video of gas bubbling at the surface of the Baltic after the \u201cunprecedented\u201d damage to the pipelines. Danish authorities raised the country\u2019s level of preparedness for the power and gas sector after three leaks occurred on Nord Stream 1 and 2 that are crucial to delivering Russian natural gas to Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines have been at the center of geopolitical tensions in recent months since Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in retaliation against Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Denmark says gas pipeline leaks \u2018deliberate actions\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBreaches of gas pipelines occur extremely rarely and we, therefore, see the need to raise the alert level as a result of the events we have seen during the last day,\u201d Danish Energy Agency director Kristoffer Bottzauw said in a statement. Denmark\u2019s defense minister said there was reason to be concerned about the security situation in the Baltic Sea region after his meeting with NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"da\" dir=\"ltr\">Se video og fotos af gasl\u00e6kagerne p\u00e5 Nord Stream 1 og 2-gasledningerne i \u00d8sters\u00f8en p\u00e5 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/pj96CN7CDB\">https:\/\/t.co\/pj96CN7CDB<\/a>: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7bgt8TljaH\">https:\/\/t.co\/7bgt8TljaH<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/dkforsvar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#dkforsvar<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/I1zEPaBLYO\">pic.twitter.com\/I1zEPaBLYO<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Forsvaret (@forsvaretdk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/forsvaretdk\/status\/1574739041504870400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 27, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said her country \u201ccannot rule out\u201d sabotage. She said that the leaks detected in the Nord Stream gas pipelines clearly were caused by deliberate actions and could not have been a result of accidents. \u201cIt is now the clear assessment by authorities that these are deliberate actions. It was not an accident,\u201d Frederiksen told reporters. However, the Danish prime minister shared no evidence and said, \u201cThere is no information indicating who could be behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The United States officials also discussed the issue with Danish authorities. \u201cThe U.S. is supporting efforts to investigate and we will continue our work to safeguard Europe\u2019s energy security,&#8221; White House national security adviser&nbsp;Jake Sullivan said&nbsp;on Tuesday night, adding that he had also spoken to his Danish counterpart Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Poland and Sweden term leaks a sabotage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the leaks were an act of sabotage that \u201cprobably marks the next step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sweden&#8217;s national seismic network said that it recorded two explosions near mysterious leaks on the\u00a0Nord Stream 1\u00a0and\u00a02 pipelines, which prompted concerns of sabotage. However, the Swedish government said it does not consider this as an act of aggression against it, given that the events took place outside its territorial waters, in the exclusive economic zones. Sweden\u2019s foreign minister\u00a0Ann Linde said that the suspected sabotage against the Nord Stream gas pipelines does not constitute an attack on Sweden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Gas-EU-Poland.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Gas-EU-Poland.jpeg?resize=841%2C451&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Gas pipelines\" class=\"wp-image-11301\" width=\"841\" height=\"451\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Gas-EU-Poland.jpeg?w=690&amp;ssl=1 690w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Gas-EU-Poland.jpeg?resize=300%2C161&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 841px) 100vw, 841px\" \/><\/a><figcaption><em><sup>Valves and pipelines are pictured at the Gaz-System gas distribution station in Gustorzyn, central Poland. (Image Credit: Reuters)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>NATO and EU must cooperate to investigate the blasts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Latvia&#8217;s Defence Minister Artis Pabriks said that NATO and the European Union member states must jointly investigate the Nord Stream gas pipeline blasts and cooperate on protecting critical infrastructure. \u201cBlowing up Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea is a diversion. The diversion took place in the immediate vicinity of NATO territory. This is a moment when close cooperation between the EU and NATO allies is needed in the investigation of the incident and the protection of critical infrastructure\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pabriks\/status\/1574819662566756354\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Pabriks said on Twitter<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Russia\u2019s response<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Russia said it was \u201cextremely concerned\u201d about the damage sustained by the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the leaks were a cause for concern and said, \u201cNo option can be ruled out right now.\u201d Peskov added that \u201dthis is an issue related to the energy security of the entire continent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;Nord Stream 1&nbsp;pipeline between Russia and Germany is&nbsp;51% owned by Russian energy giant Gazprom while&nbsp;Nord Stream 2&nbsp;is owned by a Swiss subsidiary of the same company.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/nord-stream2.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/nord-stream2.jpeg?resize=842%2C547&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11636\" width=\"842\" height=\"547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/nord-stream2.jpeg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/nord-stream2.jpeg?resize=300%2C195&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/nord-stream2.jpeg?resize=768%2C499&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px\" \/><\/a><figcaption><em><sup>A painted map of Nord Stream 2 at the natural gas receiving station in the Lubmin industrial estate in Lubmin, Germany. (Image Credit: AP)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>EU to step up protection of energy infrastructure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Josep Borrell, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, promised \u201ca robust and united response\u201d from the EU over the gas pipeline leaks. \u201cThe European Union is deeply concerned about damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines that has resulted in leaks in the international waters of the Baltic Sea,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consilium.europa.eu\/en\/press\/press-releases\/2022\/09\/28\/declaration-by-the-high-representative-on-behalf-of-the-european-union-on-leaks-in-the-nord-stream-gas-pipelines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Borrell said in a statement<\/span><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese incidents are not a coincidence and affect us all. All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act.\u201d Borrell vowed that the EU supports any investigation to get complete clarity on the incident and to take further steps to increase Europe&#8217;s energy security. \u201cAny deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The European Commission President, Ursula Von der Leyen,\u00a0warned of the \u201cstrongest possible response\u201d to any deliberate disruption\u00a0of European energy infrastructure in the wake of the Nord Stream damage.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Spoke to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Statsmin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Statsmin<\/a> Frederiksen on the sabotage action <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Nordstream?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Nordstream<\/a>.<br><br>Paramount to now investigate the incidents, get full clarity on events &amp; why. <br><br>Any deliberate disruption of active European energy infrastructure is unacceptable &amp; will lead to the strongest possible response.<\/p>&mdash; Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/vonderleyen\/status\/1574856534064041996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 27, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>European leaders have said that sabotage is the most likely cause of leaks in two Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Europe after reported explosions around the Baltic Sea lines<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11635,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[62,1],"tags":[56,288,152,357,28,53,598,596,20,113,213],"class_list":["post-11633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-news","tag-baltic-states","tag-denmark","tag-energy","tag-europe","tag-gas","tag-germany","tag-nord-stream","tag-nordic","tag-russia","tag-security","tag-sweden"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Nord-Stream-gas-leaks.jpeg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-31D","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11633"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11641,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11633\/revisions\/11641"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}