Nord Stream leaks leave Danish residents feeling vulnerable and unsettled

While many in Europe believe the damage to Nord Stream was deliberate, Ukraine has accused Russia of terrorism.

Siobhan Robbins
Europe correspondent 
Saturday 1 October 2022 


In the Baltic Sea, we're heading to a crime scene.

The site of suspected sabotage.

We're sailing towards the place where an alleged attack was carried out on Nord Stream; the biggest underwater gas pipelines running from Russia to Europe.

We left from the Danish island of Bornholm, the closest place to four leaks detected off the coasts of Denmark and Sweden this week.

Suddenly a familiar symbol appears on the boat's onboard map.

"A skull and crossbones, what does that mean?" I ask our captain, Kim Finne.

"That is the leak," he replies.

Ahead of us is an exclusion zone of around five miles.

Only the military and official investigators are allowed to get any closer to the leaking pipes as they try to protect the evidence and prove what happened and who is responsible.

Image:Kim Finne



It doesn't take long before we are warned off.

"You are heading towards a restricted area where navigation is prohibited," the Danish Navy tells us over the radio.

The discovery of leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines has sparked an international crisis.

All the damage is in international waters.

A few kilometres closer to Bornholm and the reported explosions would have been in Danish waters which could have provoked a NATO response if proven to be deliberate acts.

It's deeply unsettling for Kim who could smell the leaking gas from his home.

"Do you feel vulnerable living on Bornholm?" I ask him.



"Yes, because Bornholm used to be a really peaceful place and now we see warships, F16 [jets] and explosions so close to Denmark," he replies.

Many in Europe believe the damage to Nord Stream was deliberate.

Ukraine has accused Russia of terrorism.

On Friday, President Vladimir Putin directly accused "Anglo-Saxon" powers of blowing up the pipelines.

"It was a deliberate act of sabotage, and now the Russians are pumping out disinformation and lies. And we're at work with our allies to get to the bottom of exactly what, precisely what happened," countered President Joe Biden.

"Who do you think is responsible?" I ask Kim.

"I will not say I know who has done this but I would definitely say the Russian guy will try to hold Europe in a tighter hand now because they know it's going to be winter."

Bornholm's proximity to the leaks means chemical experts are monitoring the air to check it hasn't been poisoned.

So far, no dangerous levels have been detected.

But the ruptures in the Nord Stream system have led to what is likely the biggest single release of climate-damaging methane ever recorded according to the United Nations Environment Programme.

Campaigners say what's happened in the Baltic Sea is both a political crisis and an environmental disaster:

"Methane being such a potent and aggressive gas, this is something that really will be felt.

Read more:
UK energy firms reassess security of North Sea oil and gas rigs

What we know about the Nord Stream leaks and who was behind them

"Over a 20-year period this is something that is equivalent to the Danish emissions of C02 or what maybe 30 million cars in Europe would emit in one year," explains Mads Flarup Christensen from Greenpeace Nordic.

"It will contribute to the climate crisis that we are in the middle of and that is of course very, very serious."

The full implications of what has happened off Bornholm's coast are still playing out.

Further investigation should be possible once gas stops flowing from the pipelines.

But experts warn that even if evidence can be gathered to prove what caused the leaks and if they are the result of a deliberate attack, it's highly unlikely we will ever definitively know who ordered it.

At the UN, Russia, USA Trade barbs over the Nord Stream damage
Post date

October 1, 2022


The US and Russia traded barbs and accusations at a UN Security Council meeting on Friday over the apparent sabotage of a major gas pipeline that Russia uses to supply Europe.

Between September 26 and 29, explosions caused four leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines that run along the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

The United States, the European Union, NATO and Russia all agree that the damage and gas leaks point to sabotage, but they disagree on who is the likely perpetrator.

Russia asked the Security Council meeting to discuss the pipeline incident.

“It is absolutely clear to us that sabotage of such complexity and scale is beyond the power of ordinary terrorists,” Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said at the meeting. “We consider the actions to damage the gas pipelines to be deliberate sabotage against a crucial part of the Russian Federation’s energy infrastructure.”

He echoed Kremlin talking points, saying it could not have happened without the involvement of a state or state-controlled actors, and that Moscow would “certainly identify” the perpetrators.

“I hope, colleagues, that everyone in this room is aware of the dangerous brink to which those who committed this sabotage are leading us,” he said.

Assessing the debt

Nebenzia suggested that the United States had the most to gain from damaging the pipeline and directly asked his American counterpart if he could confirm that Washington was not involved.

“Let me be clear: the United States categorically denies any involvement in this incident, and we reject all claims to the contrary,” responded US envoy Richard Mills.

Mills accused Russia of using the Security Council as a platform to launch conspiracy theories and disinformation. He noted that since Russia invaded Ukraine seven months ago, it has repeatedly damaged and destroyed civilian infrastructure there.

“If there’s perhaps any country that has a track record of doing what we’re discussing here today, it’s not the United States,” Mills noted.

Some European officials and energy experts have suggested that Russia likely carried out the attacks to take advantage of higher energy prices and to create more economic chaos in Europe for its support of Ukraine to stave off Russia’s war. But other officials urged caution in assessing blame until investigators determine what happened.

The damage to the pipelines occurred off the shores of Sweden and Denmark. Ahead of Friday’s meeting, their ambassadors sent a joint letter to the President of the Security Council. They said at least two underwater detonations occurred on September 26, damaging pipelines on Nord Stream 1 and 2 and causing “large leaks” of natural gas several hundred meters wide.

The cause was likely two massive explosions, “probably equivalent to an explosive load of several hundred kilograms”, which were “the result of a deliberate act”. The explosions were so powerful, they said, that they measured 2.3 and 2.1 on the Richter scale, which is used to measure earthquakes.

They warned that the gas plumes pose a risk to both sea and air traffic and they issued a navigation warning to ships to keep a distance of at least 5 nautical miles, or 10 kilometers, from the leaks.

Danish, Swedish and German authorities are conducting a joint investigation. Russia’s ambassador said Moscow would only accept the results of an independent investigation that included Russian experts.

NATO

On Thursday, NATO pledged retaliation for attacks on critical infrastructure in its 30 member states.

“Any deliberate attack on Allies’ critical infrastructure would be met with a united and decisive response,” Nato ambassadors said in a statement.

The bloc said the four breaches of the Nord Stream pipelines were of “deep concern” and agreed that current information pointed to “deliberate, reckless and irresponsible acts of sabotage.”

Two of the leaks are on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, where gas flow was recently stopped, while the other two are on Nord Stream 2, which has never been opened.

Although not operational, both pipelines were filled with methane gas, which has escaped and is bubbling to the surface.

Ex-Polish FM thanks the US for the destruction of the Russian gas pipeline

NORD NEWS
Post date

September 30, 2022

Moscow has called the events a “terrorist attack”

While the United States, Russia and most European governments were reticent to judge who might be behind Monday’s explosion that damaged both Nord Stream pipelines and cut Germany off from Russian gas, former Polish minister and member of the European Parliament Radoslaw Sikorski had no such qualms.

“Thank you USA,” Sikorsky tweeted on Tuesday, along with a photo of the massive gas leak in the waters of the Baltic Sea. Both pipelines were severely damaged off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm, in what many are now calling a deliberate act.

Sikorsky tweeted laterin Polish, that damage to Nord Stream means that Russia must “talk to the countries that control the Brotherhood and Yamal gas pipelines, Ukraine and Poland” if you want to continue supplying gas to Europe. “Good work,” he concluded.

Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 lost all pressure on Monday, after what Swedish and Danish authorities later said were a series of underwater explosions. The first pipeline was operating at reduced capacity after what Russia said were technical difficulties, while the second was fully pressurized but not operating, due to German refusal to certify it.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wondered if Sikorsky’s tweet amounted to one “official statement that this was a terrorist attack.” Meanwhile, Moscow’s deputy UN ambassador, Dmitry Polyanskiy, thanked Sikorski for “makes it crystal clear who is behind this terrorist-like targeting of civilian infrastructure!”

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki did not quite go as far as Sikorski, choosing to describe the Nord Stream incident as “an act of sabotage, related to the next stage of escalation of the situation in Ukraine.”

Not just any MP, Sikorski is a former British citizen and fellow at several US and NATO think tanks, as well as Poland’s former defense (2005-2007) and foreign minister (2007-2014). In October 2014, he was arrested manufactures a claim about Russian President Vladimir Putin who wanted to divide Ukraine with Warsaw, and was forced to back down.

Sikorski called Russia a “serial rapist” in January 2022 and in June told Ukraine’s Espreso TV that NATO had the right to give Kyiv nuclear weapons. He is married to the American expert Anne Applebaum, who is also one outspoken enemy of Russia.

While Sikorski thanked the US for the Nord Stream sabotage, Kyiv blamed Russia. President Vladimir Zelensky’s adviser Mikhail Podoliak called The “a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression against the EU”, to argue that the best response would be to send German tanks to the Ukrainian army.

Swedish intelligence initiates Nord Stream’s sabotage inquiry

Post date

September 30, 2022


Sweden’s security service (SAPO) said on Wednesday it will investigate unexplained explosions and leaks on Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea, calling them “gross sabotage”.

SAPO took over the investigation from the police because “it could relate to a serious crime that could be at least partially targeted Swedish interests,” it said.

The intelligence service added “it could not be ruled out that a foreign power is behind it”.

In separate statements, SAPO and the Swedish Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation was currently focused on potential “gross sabotage”.

On Monday, leaks occurred in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea off the coast Danish the island of Bornholm.

Seismic institutes reported on Tuesday that they had recorded “in all probability” explosions in the area before the leaks were discovered.

Both Moscow and Washington denied on Wednesday that they were responsible for the suspected sabotage.

EU manager Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday said “sabotage” caused the leaks. She threatened the “strongest possible response” to any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure.

The EU has not named a potential perpetrator or suggested a reason for the suspected sabotage.

“Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is completely unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response,” said the EU’s foreign policy chief. Josep Borrell on Wednesday.

The UN Security Council will meet on Friday at the request of Russia to discuss the damage. The French UN mission, which holds the presidency of the 15-member council in September, said the meeting would address the Nord Stream pipelines that Russia and European partners spent billions of dollars building.

The Copenhagen police begin an investigation

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines have been at the center of geopolitical tensions in recent months as Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in suspected retaliation against Western sanctions following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

While the pipelines – are operated by a consortium majority-owned by Russian gas giants Gazprom – are not currently operational, they both still contain gas.

According to Danish authorities, the leaks will continue until the gas in the pipelines runs out, which is expected to happen on Sunday.

More than half of the gas in the damaged gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 has left the pipes, according to the head of the Danish Energy Authority, Kristoffer Böttzauw.

Danish police have also launched an investigation into the case and cooperated with police authorities in Sweden and Germany, Copenhagen police chief Anne Tonnes told a press conference.

The pipelines contained a total of 778 million cubic meters of natural gas, which corresponds to 32% of Denmark’s annual CO2-equivalent emissions, the Energy Agency states in a statement.

Germany says it must prepare for the “unthinkable” after gas leaks

Germany’s interior minister said on Wednesday the country must prepare for previously “unbelievable” threats to its energy security after dramatic pipeline leaks that the EU blamed on sabotage.

Nancy Faeser said Europe’s top economy would need to step up its vigilance to manage such risks in the wake of the damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 energy links between Germany and Russia.

“We have to adapt to scenarios that were previously unthinkable,” she said. “It requires strong security agencies with the necessary resources and powers.”

Faeser called for a quick investigation into the “probable act of sabotage” on the pipelines under the Baltic Sea near Denmark and Sweden so that “those responsible” can be identified.

“Protecting critical infrastructure is the highest priority,” she said, adding that Berlin had “for months” assumed there was an “abstract threat to the energy infrastructure” given its high profile in the wake of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said the “disturbing incident” underlined the importance of an ongoing “modernisation” of the German navy’s surveillance fleet in cooperation with partner states on the Baltic Sea.

Germany, which until recently was heavily dependent on Russian energy, will wait for a full investigation into the incident before drawing any conclusions, a government spokesman said on Wednesday.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)

AI experts pan Tesla’s humanoid robot reveal: ‘next level cringeworthy’

By Tom Krisher And Matt O'brien 

 The Associated Press
Posted October 1, 2022 

An early prototype of Tesla Inc.’s proposed Optimus humanoid robot slowly and awkwardly walked onto a stage, turned, and waved to a cheering crowd at the company’s artificial intelligence event Friday.

But the basic tasks by the robot with exposed wires and electronics — as well as a later, next generation version that had to be carried onstage by three men — was a long way from CEO Elon Musk’s vision of a human-like robot that can change the world.

Musk told the crowd, many of whom might be hired by Tesla, that the robot can do much more than the audience saw Friday. He said it is also delicate and “we just didn’t want it to fall on its face.”

Musk suggested that the problem with flashy robot demonstrations is that the robots are “missing a brain” and don’t have the intelligence to navigate themselves, but he gave little evidence Friday that Optimus was any more intelligent than robots developed by other companies and researchers.

The demo didn’t impress AI researcher Filip Piekniewski, who tweeted it was “next level cringeworthy” and a “complete and utter scam.” He said it would be “good to test falling, as this thing will be falling a lot.”

“None of this is cutting edge,” tweeted robotics expert Cynthia Yeung. “Hire some PhDs and go to some robotics conferences Tesla.”

Yeung also questioned why Tesla opted for its robot to have a human-like hand with five fingers, noting “there’s a reason why” warehouse robots developed by startup firms use pinchers with two or three fingers or vacuum-based grippers.

Musk said that Friday night was the first time the early robot walked onstage without a tether. Tesla’s goal, he said, is to make an “extremely capable” robot in high volumes — possibly millions of them — at a cost that could be less than a car, that he guessed would be less than $20,000.

Tesla showed a video of the robot, which uses artificial intelligence that Tesla is testing in its “Full Self-Driving” vehicles, carrying boxes and placing a metal bar into what appeared to be a factory machine. But there was no live demonstration of the robot completing the tasks.

Employees told the crowd in Palo Alto, California, as well as those watching via livestream, that they have been working on Optimus for six to eight months. People can probably buy an Optimus “within three to five years,” Musk said.

Employees said Optimus robots would have four fingers and a thumb with a tendon-like system so they could have the dexterity of humans.

The robot is backed by giant artificial intelligence computers that track millions of video frames from “Full Self-Driving” autos. Similar computers would be used to teach tasks to the robots, they said.

Experts in the robotics field were skeptical that Tesla is anywhere near close to rolling out legions of human-like home robots that can do the “useful things” Musk wants them to do — say, make dinner, mow the lawn, keep watch on an aging grandmother.

“When you’re trying to develop a robot that is both affordable and useful, a humanoid kind of shape and size is not necessarily the best way,” said Tom Ryden, executive director of the nonprofit startup incubator Mass Robotics.

Tesla isn’t the first car company to experiment with humanoid robots.

Honda more than two decades ago unveiled Asimo, which resembled a life-size space suit and was shown in a carefully-orchestrated demonstration to be able to pour liquid into a cup. Hyundai also owns a collection of humanoid and animal-like robots through its 2021 acquisition of robotics firm Boston Dynamics. Ford has partnered with Oregon startup Agility Robotics, which makes robots with two legs and two arms that can walk and lift packages.

Ryden said carmakers’ research into humanoid robotics can potentially lead to machines that can walk, climb and get over obstacles, but impressive demos of the past haven’t led to an “actual use scenario” that lives up to the hype.

“There’s a lot of learning that they’re getting from understanding the way humanoids function,” he said. “But in terms of directly having a humanoid as a product, I’m not sure that that’s going to be coming out anytime soon.”

1:29 Robots help kitchen staff stay cool during Calgary heat wave – Aug 19, 2022

Critics also said years ago that Musk and Tesla wouldn’t be able to build a profitable new car company that used batteries for power rather than gasoline.

Tesla is testing “Full Self-Driving” vehicles on public roads, but they have to be monitored by selected owners who must be ready to intervene at all times. The company says it has about 160,000 vehicles equipped with the test software on the road today.

Critics have said the Teslas, which rely on cameras and powerful computers to drive by themselves, don’t have enough sensors to drive safely. Tesla’s less capable Autopilot driver-assist system, with the same camera sensors, is under investigation by U.S. safety regulators for braking for no reason and repeatedly running into emergency vehicles with flashing lights parked along freeways.

In 2019, Musk promised a fleet of autonomous robotaxis would be in use by the end of 2020. They are still being tested.

BP in oil field where 'cancer is like the flu'

BBC

Yesterday

Communities living close to oil fields, where gas is openly burned, are at elevated risk of leukaemia, a BBC News Arabic investigation has revealed.


Dr Saleh comforts 13-year old Fatima Faleh Najem during treatment for leukaemia© BBC

The UN told the BBC it considers these areas, in Iraq, to be "modern sacrifice zones" - where profit has been prioritised over human rights.

Gas flaring is the "wasteful" burning of gas released in oil drilling, which produces cancer-linked pollutants.

BP and Eni are major oil companies we identified as working on these sites.

On the outskirts of Basra, in the south-east of Iraq, lie some of the country's biggest oil exploration areas.

Flared gases from these sites are dangerous because they emit a potent mix of carbon dioxide, methane and black soot which is highly polluting.

For health reasons Iraqi law prohibits flaring within six miles of people's homes, but we found towns where gas was being burned less than two miles people's front doors.

The Iraqi government is aware the impacts this could be having. A leaked Iraq Health Ministry report, seen by BBC Arabic, blames air pollution for a 20% rise in cancer in Basra between 2015 and 2018.

As part of this investigation, the BBC undertook the first pollution monitoring testing amongst the exposed communities. The results indicated high levels of exposure to cancer-causing chemicals.

Using satellite data we found that the largest of Basra's oil fields, Rumaila, flares more gas than any other site in the world. The Iraqi government owns this field, and BP is the lead contractor.

On the field is a town called North Rumaila - which locals call "the cemetery". Teenagers coined the phrase after they observed high levels of leukaemia amongst their friends, which they suspect is from the flaring.

Prof Shukri Al Hassan, a local environmental scientist, told us that cancer here is so rife it is "like the flu".

In 2021, we met Ali Hussein Julood, a 19-year-old childhood leukaemia survivor, from North Rumaila.

The BBC was denied permits to film in Rumaila, so Ali documented his life on the inside.

On clips from his mobile he shows his primary school with smoke from the flares billowing behind it. Ali had to leave school when he was 14 to undergo treatment.

He recounts to us that following years of chemotherapy, one day on his way to hospital, he told his father: "This is it for me. Please say goodbye to my mother."

His father wipes away tears at the memory.

Ali is now in recovery. He told us he asked BP for compensation, as they are the lead contractor at the oil field. But he was met with silence.

Many children in nearby villages have not survived their cancer diagnoses.

Fatima Falah Najem lived 25 miles (40km) down the road from Ali in Zubair oil field, with her parents and six siblings.

Eni - a major Italian oil company - is the lead contractor at Zubair.

Fatima was diagnosed with a type of blood and bone cancer called acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at 11 years old. Exposure to benzene - found in flared gases - can increase the risk of people developing this condition.

From her home we can see the flares blazing almost continuously. The nearest flares are just 1.6 miles (2.6km) from the family's front door.


Fatima's father and her sister watch the toxic smoke from the flares near their home© BBC

Fatima drew the "fiery flames" that surrounded her home whilst in hospital. She told us she enjoyed watching them at night and came to normalise them.

But for her father, watching her get sick, was "like being on fire without being able to extinguish it".

Last year doctors managed to secure her a bone marrow transplant abroad. But by this time she was too sick to travel.

Fatima passed away last November at 13 years old.

The Iraqi health ministry report shows the government is aware of the regions health issues. But Iraq's own prime minister issued a confidential order - which was also seen by BBC Arabic - banning its employees from speaking about health damage caused by pollution.

David Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, told us the people living near oil fields are "the victims of state-business collusion, and lack the political power in most cases to achieve change".Ali Hussein said: "Here in Rumaila nobody speaks out, they say they're scared to speak in case they get removed."

Until now health researchers have been prevented from entering the oil fields to carry out air quality tests.

BBC News Arabic worked with environment and health experts to undertake the first ever independent pollution monitoring in the communities living near the fields.

We tested for cancer-causing chemicals emitted by gas flaring over a two week period.

The air tests from five communities indicated levels of benzene, linked to leukaemia and other blood disorders, reached or exceeded Iraq's national limit in at least four places.

Urine samples we collected from 52 children indicated that 70% had elevated levels of 2-Naphthol, a form of the possibly cancer-causing substance naphthalene.

Dr Manuela Orjuela-Grimm, professor of childhood cancer at Columbia University, said: "The children have strikingly high levels … this is concerning for [their] health and suggests they should be monitored closely."



Prof Shukri collects urine samples from the children living near the oil fields in Basra© BBC

BBC put the findings to Iraq's Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar Ismail. He told us: "We instructed all the contracted companies operating in the oil fields to uphold international standards."

The BBC asked BP and Eni for a response to our investigation.

Eni said it "strongly rejects any allegation that its own activities are endangering the health of the Iraqi people".

BP said: "We are extremely concerned by the issues raised by the BBC - we will immediately review those concerns."

Under Poisoned Skies

The deadly impact of the oil giants' toxic air pollution on children and the planet is revealed in this BBC News Arabic investigation from the front line of climate change in Iraq.

The documentary is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK only) and internationally on the BBC website.

12th Congress of CPI (ML) Red Star Calls for All Out Offensive Against RSS (HINDUTVA) Fascism

in India — by Press Release — 01/10/2022

The 12th Congress of CPI (ML) Red Star held at Shivaram-Sharmishta Hall (SK Pottekad Hall) from September 24 to 29 concluded with a call to resist and defeat RSS neo-fascism.  The Congress attended by around 300 delegates and observers from 16 states, following intense discussion, adopted the updated Party Program and Path of Revolution along with amendments to Party Constitution, Political Organisational Report and Political Resolution.  The 34-member Central Committee and the 3-member Central Control Commission unanimously elected by the Congress respectively elected PJ James as General Secretary of the Party and Adv. Sabi Joseph as Convener of the Central Control Commission.

The Party Congress decided to take up the urgent task of building up the broadest anti-fascist front against the neo-fascism of RSS, the biggest and longest running fascist organization in the world. While joining with all anti-fascist forces in this task, the Party Congress also decided to uphold the communists’ duty to uphold the ideological independence of the working class and all oppressed in the fight against neoliberal-corporatisation. The inhuman caste system based on Manusmriti being the ideological basis of RSS fascism, the Party Congress unanimously resolved  that members of the Central Committee shall give up all caste surnames.  Related to this, the Congress also called for uncompromising fight to end all forms of gender discrimination and advance towards gender equality.

Even as CPI(ML) Red Star’s position on religious-communal organisations is explicit, the Congress has resolutely condemned the Modi regime’s ongoing move in selectively targeting and banning Muslim organizations which is in line with the cultural nationalism of the RSS that identifies Muslims as it’s enemy number one enemy since it’s very inception. The Party  Congress also stressed the extreme significance of resisting the ever-mounting  corporate encroachment on nature which is now leading to an environmental catastrophe making the very survival of all living beings unsustainable.

Together with the primary task of building up the Party organisation, the Congress decided to strive for achieving unity among communist revolutionary organisations in the country.  Being a constituent of ICOR, the Party has decided to strengthen ICOR’s (International Coordination of Revolutionary Parties and Organizations) efforts to build up an Anti-Imperialist, Anti-Fascist United United Front at the international level against imperialism and neofascism.

And the Party Congress has resolved to integrate Party’s strategic task of advancing towards people’s democracy and socialism with  the immediate task of resisting and defeating the far-right neoliberal policies of the corporate -saffron fascist regime that have led to horrific levels of wealth appropriation by a tiny group of Adani-Ambani like big corporates on the one hand, while transforming India into a citadel of “absolute” or  “extreme” poverty  coupled with unprecedented unemployment and sky-rocketing prices making the very sustenance of people impossible.

CPI ((ML) Red Star extends its revolutionary greetings to all the working and oppressed people and progressive democratic sections who wholeheartedly supported to make the 12th Party Congress a success!

P J James

General Secretary

CPI (ML) Red Star

Hurricanes risk aggravating migration, hunger crises in Latin America and Caribbean, U.N. fears

JACQUELINE CHARLES

September 30, 2022

Ramón Espinosa/AP

Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, which displaced thousands of people across the Caribbean as they battered several islands, risked plunging an already struggling region into a deeper food crisis and could trigger further migration, the regional director for the United Nations World Food Program for Latin America and the Caribbean said Friday.

Lola Castro, who is visiting Washington this week visiting from Panama, said populations across the region were already struggling to make ends meet due to a lack of opportunities as well as the economic crises brought on by COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine when the storms hit, leaving millions in Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos and Cuba in the dark and in need of relief.

“We just saw the two biggest [hurricanes] of the season in two weeks; one in the Dominican Republic, very, very heavily affected, and Cuba,” she said, noting that there is still time to go in what could be a very busy storm season.

U.N. officials say their work across 34 countries and territories in the region has demonstrated there is a connection between hunger, climate change and the rise in migration. According to the U.S. government, encounters with migrants along the southern border with Mexico have for the first time exceeded 2 million in one year as an increasing number of undocumented individuals flee their home countries and try to enter the United States.

Many of them come from South and Central America, as well as Cuba and Haiti, the last two of which are seeing historic flows of migrants attempting to cross both by land and at sea.

While migrants feel compelled to leave for many reasons, Castro said many are pushed to do so because of factors involving climate change — whether it’s the destruction from storms and hurricanes, like the region is currently seeing, or drought.

“They are pushing people to the edge, that they cannot really sustain themselves in their communities,” she said. “The loss of harvest, having basically nothing to eat or having no social systems to support you in your communities, is really making people move. They move to cities, and then onward, they go through very difficult journeys, like what we are seeing in the Darién.”

The Darién Gap is the swamp and jungle region between Panama and Colombia, often referred to as one of the world’s most dangerous migrant crossings. Last year, the U.N. said 130,000 migrants traveled through the region. In just the first nine months of this year, that number is already at 116,000, Castro said.

In addition to the migrants moving through Central America, the U.S. is seeing record numbers of Cubans and Haitians trying to get to its border. A Category 3 Hurricane Ian battered western Cuba on Tuesday after making landfall in the westernmost provice of Pinar del Río and plunged the entire country into darkness, triggering protests on the island. Although Haiti was spared from Hurricane Fiona a week earlier, the Dominican Republic was not.

Both countries share the island of Hispaniola and the Dominican Republican is home to thousands of Haitians, some of whom have been attempting to reach the U.S. through Puerto Rico by traveling across the Mona Passage in unsafe boats.

“They are all coming to the U.S., the majority of them,” Castro said.

The World Food Program, Castro added, has tried to increase its efforts through food and cash assistance and other opportunities, but solutions are needed to address the root causes of migration.

“We provide some money to people to be able to buy basically their food basket, or part of the food basket, and then try to invest a little bit also in education, health, etc., to have a better livelihood,” she said. “It’s very difficult for us to solve the problem with one action, it requires many actions. This is why it’s very, very important that governments continue working there, the social protection transfers take place, and also that there is a system put in place for these people to have adequate education facilities, health facilities and employment.”

Castro said her program is working with Cuban authorities to assess damage from Ian and how to respond. The hurricane slammed the island-nation before making landfall in Southwest Florida on Wednesday afternoon as a Category 4 storm.

“We know that many of the crops, banana, yuca, cassava, sweet potato and tobacco, have been devastated in the west of the country,” she said. “That already affects the capacity of the people to have food on a daily basis and from their fields, but also the income that they have from trading because this is a rich area that trades a lot with these commodities as well as tobacco, which is one of the main cash crops in the country as well.”

In Cuba, she said the World Food Program has pre-positioned supplies for around 250,000 people for 60 days, which will be activated as soon as requested by the government.

Castro said that with so many crises this year around the world, Latin America and the Caribbean have been off center stage. At the start of the year the agency had hoped to reach 8.5 million people in countries and territories that were at risk of severe hunger, but with increased costs of food, shipping and a lack of funding, the program will reach a lot fewer.

“We are looking at around a $359 million shortfall for WFP Latin America and the Caribbean only,” she said, adding that the program recently received some supplementary support from the U.S. for Haiti, Peru and Ecuador. “The situation is much worse than everybody expected it to be at this moment.”

Russia accused of kidnapping head of Ukraine nuclear plant after illegal annexations

State nuclear company says Russian troops stopped car of director-general of Zaporizhzhia plant, blindfolded him and took him to undisclosed location, hours after Putin declaration

By AP

Today, 

A view of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant and the Dnipro river on the other side of Nikopol, Ukraine on Aug, 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)


KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s nuclear power provider accused Russia on Saturday of “kidnapping” the head of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, a facility now occupied by Russian troops and located in a region of Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin has moved to annex illegally.

Russian forces seized the director-general of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ihor Murashov, around 4 p.m. Friday, Ukrainian state nuclear company Energoatom said. That was just hours after Putin, in a sharp escalation of his war, signed treaties to absorb Moscow-controlled Ukrainian territory into Russia.

Energoatom said Russian troops stopped Murashov’s car, blindfolded him and then took him to an undisclosed location.

“His detention by (Russia) jeopardizes the safety of Ukraine and Europe’s largest nuclear power plant,” said Energoatom President Petro Kotin said.

Kotin demanded that Russia immediately release Murashov.

Russia did not immediately acknowledge seizing the plant director. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which has staff at the plant, did not immediately acknowledge Energoatom’s claim of Murashov’s capture.

A Ukrainian serviceman examines a destroyed Russian Uragan MLRS near the village of Sosnove, Donetsk region on September 30, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (ANATOLII STEPANOV / AFP)

The Zaporizhzhia plant repeatedly has been caught in the crossfire of the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian technicians continued running it after Russian troops seized the power station. The plant’s last reactor was shut down in September amid ongoing shelling near the facility.

On Friday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the war in Ukraine was at “a pivotal moment.” He called Putin’s decision to take over more territory – Russia now claims sovereignty over 15% of Ukraine – “the largest attempted annexation of European territory by force since the Second World War.”

Elsewhere in Ukraine, however, a Ukrainian counteroffensive that last month embarrassed the Kremlin by liberating a region bordering Russia was on the verge of retaking more ground, according to military analysts.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Ukraine likely will retake another key Russian-occupied city in the country’s east in the next few days. Ukrainian forces already have encircled the city of Lyman, some 160 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.

Citing Russian reports, the institute said it appeared Russian forces were retreating from Lyman. That corresponds to online videos purportedly showing some Russian forces falling back as a Ukrainian soldier said they had reached Lyman’s outskirts.

The Ukrainian military has yet to claim taking Lyman, and Russia-backed forces claimed they were sending more troops to the area.

Ukraine also is making “incremental” gains around Kupiansk and the eastern bank of the Oskil River, which became a key front line since the Ukrainian counteroffensive regained control of the Kharkiv region in September.

Ukraine’s military claimed Saturday that Russia would need to deploy cadets before they complete their training because of a lack of manpower in the war. Putin ordered a mass mobilization of Russian army reservists last week to supplement his troops in Ukraine, and thousands of men have fled the country to avoid the call-up.

The Ukrainian military’s general staff said cadets at the Tyumen Military School and at the Ryazan Airborne School would be sent to participate in Russia’s mobilization. It offered no details on how it gathered the information, though Kyiv has electronically intercepted mobile phone calls from Russian soldiers amid the conflict.

In a daily intelligence briefing, the British Defense Ministry highlighted an attack Friday in the city of Zaporizhzhia that killed 30 people and wounded 88 others.

A Ukrainian serviceman (L) looks at a crater left by a missile strike near Zaporizhzhia on September 30, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine

 (Photo by Kateryna Klochko / AFP)

The British military said the Russians “almost certainly” struck a humanitarian convoy there with S-300 anti-aircraft missiles. Russia is increasingly using anti-aircraft missiles to conduct attacks on the ground likely due to a lack of munitions, the British said Saturday.

“Russia’s stock of such missiles is highly likely limited and is a high-value resource designed to shoot down modern aircraft and incoming missiles, rather than for use against ground targets,” the British said. “Its use in ground attack role has almost certainly been driven by overall munitions shortages, particularly longer-range precision missiles.”

The British briefing noted the attack came while Putin was preparing to sign the annexation treaties.

“Russia is expending strategically valuable military assets in attempts to achieve tactical advantage and in the process is killing civilians it now claims are its own citizens,” it said.

LET'S GET IT DONE

Nord Stream repair may take at least six months, says lawmaker

Four Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks have been uncovered, with the most recent one being pinpointed by Sweden’s coast guard

Head of the State Duma Energy Committee Pavel Zavalny

© Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS

YUZHNO-SAHALINSK, September 29. /TASS/. Repairing the ruptures that occurred on the lines of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines may take more than six months, Pavel Zavalny, who heads the State Duma’s (lower house) Committee on Energy, believes.

In his opinion, there are two ways to fix the damage: making a caisson (a watertight chamber used in underwater construction work or as a foundation - TASS), or hoisting the gas pipelines to the surface.

"One way is to manufacture a caisson that will be brought to the pipe. Work will be carried out in the caisson to either replace the pipe or fix it. The depths allow this. Of course, a complex engineering underwater structure would have to be created. That being said, the timeframe - the design, manufacturing and the works - all this would take not just months but even longer. The second option is lifting [the pipes]," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Sakhalin Oil and Gas forum on Thursday.

According to him, raising the gas pipeline to the surface would require cranes with a lifting capacity of 3,000 tons.

"As part of the design of these gas pipelines, the risks of its work being disrupted were factored in, and, accordingly, the possibility of repairs was taken into account. Therefore, the pipe was laid in such a way that would make it possible to hoist it up. This will also take time, technical equipment, cranes, ships, and so on. But, in my opinion, technically it is possible. It may take a long time, it's not a month or two, it's six months or a year, at least," Zavalny explained.

He noted that the decisive factor in choosing options is the availability of ship equipment to carry out repairs.

"Probably, these pipe-laying vessels are under sanctions, so they simply won't be allowed to be used to repair the gas pipeline," the legislator admitted.

Nord Stream pipeline ruptures

Four Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks have been uncovered, with the most recent one being pinpointed by Sweden’s coast guard.

Earlier, the Nord Stream AG company reported that three threads of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 offshore gas pipelines had suffered unprecedented damage on Monday. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow was "deeply concerned about the news" and did not rule out that the pipelines’ operation could have been disrupted by an act of sabotage. Swedish seismologists later reported that two explosions had been recorded along the Nord Stream pipelines on Monday.

The UN Security Council will discuss the situation with the pipelines at a meeting on September 30 convened at Russia’s request. The Danish Energy Agency reported that a large amount of gas had spilled into the sea. Aircraft and ships are barred from approaching the site any closer than five nautical miles.

Damaged Nord Stream threads contained about 800 mln cubic meters of gas — Gazprom

Gazpropm has started to search for solutions to restore the efficiency of the Nord Stream system but it’s impossible to say how much time it will take at the moment

UNITED NATIONS, October 1. /TASS/. Three threads of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines contained about 800 mln cubic meters of gas at the time when an incident took place, Spokesman for Russia’s Gazprom gas giant Sergey Kupriyanov told a UN Security Council meeting.

"According to current estimates, three threads of the gas pipelines contained about 800 million cubic meters of gas at the time of the incident. For reference, it is the amount of gas that Denmark uses in three months. Data about a sharp drop in pressure and gas leaks makes it possible to say with confidence that the integrity of the pipelines was violated by physical damage," he pointed out, adding that although no gas was being transported via the gas pipelines at the time of the incident, both gas pipelines had been ready for operation.

Gazpropm has started to search for solutions to restore the efficiency of the Nord Stream system but it’s impossible to say how much time it will take at the moment. "One thing that can be said for sure is that it is a very difficult technical task," Kupriyanov noted.

Nord Stream 1 operator says repair of pipeline possible

DPA - Wednesday

The operator of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline says repairing the leak is an option once the damage has been assessed.


An aerial photo provided by the Danish Defense Command shows the Nord Stream 2 gas leak near Bornholm. Following the damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea, authorities in Germany and Denmark continue to search for the cause. Danish Defence Command/dpa© DPA

A spokesman for Nord Stream AG told dpa that it wants to inspect the damage as quickly as possible once the authorities have lifted the closure zones that have been imposed.

The spokesperson declined to give information on possible costs and who would bear them.

Nord Stream 2 AG spokesman Ulrich Lissek said that "no one can seriously say at the moment what the situation is down there," but that "the structural integrity of the pipeline must be massively damaged."

For Nord Stream 2 AG, exploration or repair on the pipeline are likely to be difficult because the company has been under US sanctions since the beginning of the year.

The German government said Wednesday that "there can be no natural cause for this incident." Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit declined to describe it as an attack, however.



A general view of the pipe systems and shut-off devices at the gas receiving station of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline and the transfer station of the Eugal gas pipeline (foreground -European Gas Link). The European Union considers sabotage to be the likely cause of the leaks from the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines and has threatened to take countermeasures. Stefan Sauer/dpa© DPA


An aerial photo provided by the Danish Defense Command shows the Nord Stream 2 gas leak near Bornholm. Following the damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea, authorities in Germany and Denmark continue to search for the cause. Danish Defence Command/dpa© DPA


Unused pipes for the Nord Stream 2 Baltic gas pipeline are stored on the site of the Port of Mukran. After a pressure drop was detected in a short time for the two Baltic Sea pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2, three leaks have now been identified. Stefan Sauer/dpa© DPA

Nord Stream says it seeks permits to start 

damage assessment of pipeline

Thu, September 29, 2022 

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Nord Stream AG, the operator of the Russia-led Nord Stream 1 offshore gas pipeline said on Thursday it intended to start assessing the damage to the pipeline as soon as it receives necessary official permits.

It said access to the area of incidents may be allowed only after the pressure in the gas pipeline has stabilised and the gas leakage has stopped.

The operator added that until the completion of the damage assessment, it is not possible to predict the timeframe for restoration of the gas transmission infrastructure.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Chris Reese)

Nord Stream 1 pipeline may use repair equipment pool

Thu, September 29, 2022

MOSCOW, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Russia's Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline may make use of the Pipeline Repair and Subsea Intervention (PRSI) Pool that provides repair equipment to member companies, it said in a statement to Reuters.

The Europe Union was investigating leaks in the Gazprom-led Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea this week and said it suspected sabotage.

The PRSI Pool provides pipeline repair equipment to its members as part of a cooperative of operating companies and includes Norway's Equinor and Nord Stream 1 operator Nord Stream AG, among others.

"Nord Stream AG is a member of the PRSI Pool and may engage PRSI at a later stage, when the repair strategy and solution have been developed," Nord Stream AG said in an emailed statement.

The Gazprom-led Nord Stream 1, which has an annual capacity of 55 billion cubic metres, was halted on Aug 31 for what Gazprom said would be three days of repair work. Gazprom failed to restart flows, however, saying it was unable to carry out the required work due to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow.

The operator of Nord Stream 2, which was built alongside Nord Stream 1 but has not been commissioned, did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.

Sweden's coast guard discovered a fourth gas leak on the damaged Nord Stream pipelines this week, a spokesperson told the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper.

 (Reporting by Reuters; editing by Jason Neely)

Nord Stream Repair No Easy Matter

Copyright © 2022 Energy Intelligence Group
Published:
Wed, Sep 28, 2022
Author
Noah Brenner, London
Editor
David Pike



Damage from alleged explosions at the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea could be difficult to repair and will be complicated by growing Western sanctions against working with Russia, according to a well-placed industry source.

Danish and Swedish investigators continue their work at two leaks on the Nord Stream pipeline and another leak on Nord Stream 2, believed to have been caused by sabotage.

The industry source, who is close to the projects, stressed the complication of repairing such damage to undersea pipelines, and predicted that Nord Stream is likely to remain out of action throughout this winter and potentially longer.

The two pipes were each designed to bring 55 billion cubic meters per year of natural gas from Russia to Germany, although neither was flowing at the time of this week's incident — Moscow had suspended flows through Nord Stream and the Ukraine crisis prevented the start of Nord Stream 2.

Until additional assessments of the damage are made public, it is impossible to know how hard it might be to repair either of the lines, a process that Russian officials have said must include Gazprom as the outright or majority owner of the two pipes.

"I think it's too early to say that it is absolutely beyond repair," the source said. "I think that we have to expect the pipe to be, in any case, out of action through the winter."

Any number of factors could play into the length of time it would take to repair the damage and the cost required to bring the line back into service. "The greater the length of pipe you have to bring up and the more work you have to do, the more time it would take," the source said.

The job would be further complicated by the incursion of seawater into the line.

“Seawater definitely is a problem" as it can corrode and damage portions of the pipeline beyond the initial holes.

Even with a speedy assessment of the damage and response, there is no certainty that Nord Stream would be back online even by the winter of 2023/24: "I wouldn’t put my money on it," the industry source said.

Hampered by Sanctions

The conflict in Ukraine, which has seen energy supplies increasingly used as a weapon by Russia and the West, poses an obvious obstacle to any cooperative attempt to repair the damage.

Western sanctions add another layer of complication, the source said.

Sanctions put in place before Russia's invasion of Ukraine made construction of the Nord Stream 2 line difficult, as the US sought to hamper Gazprom's ability to finish the project by targeting special pipelaying vessels.

The recent proliferation of measures limiting the provision of services and technologies to Russia will make any repair even harder.

"The list [of service firms able to work on the project] would be shorter … than in normal times," the source said.

All these challenges assume that Gazprom — which owns 51% of Nord Stream and 100% of Nord Stream 2 — would try to move ahead with repairs.

But Germany has already cut Russian gas imports from 40% of its total supplies to just 9% of total consumption — albeit with a push from Gazprom itself, which has systematically stepped down flows over the past six months, citing a series of technical problems.

Given plans by the German government to phase out Russian gas altogether, there may be limited commercial incentive to make the potentially costly repairs needed to return the lines to service.

No Accident

While speculation has swirled around who might have been responsible for the damage to the Nord Stream lines, there seems to be little doubt that they were purposefully sabotaged.

"The lines are very well built. They're solid. They're state-of-the-art," said the industry source. "I would not expect … a simple industrial incident because of lack of safety precautions or whatever."

The pipeline routes were surveyed to ensure there was no unexploded ammunition from past conflicts, and they were leveled and prepared to prevent steep slopes. "It very much looks like a deliberate act of sabotage," the source said.

Doubts Mount Over Viability of Nord Stream

Repair: Energy Update

Bloomberg News, Bloomberg News 

Sep 29, 2022

(Bloomberg) -- Germany set out a plan to limit gas prices for homes and business that will need €200 billion ($195 billion) of borrowing, a move that risks keeping consumption high as shortages loom this winter.

Households aren’t yet listening to calls to use less gas with the country’s network regulator warning earlier that consumption was higher than usual over the past week as temperatures dropped. Savings of at least 20% are needed to avert a shortage of the fuel this winter. 

Gas is still leaking from the damaged Nord Stream pipelines as nations step up security at critical energy infrastructure to prevent further potential sabotage. The fuel has been bubbling up from the pipelines since earlier this week, with Denmark estimating that the links would empty by Sunday. Detailed surveys of the damage can only be carried out once the gas has stopped leaking.

Key Developments:

• Germany will need to borrow €200 billion to fund gas bill discount
• German regulator warns gas use needs to fall at least 20% to avoid shortage
• Finland says only a state actor is capable of Nord Stream sabotage
• Nord Stream pipelines have four leaks
• Gas futures decline after two-day rally

(All times are UK.)

UK Authorities Discussing Increased Vigilance of Assets (4:56 p.m.)

UK authorities and energy asset operators are “engaged” in discussions over whether extra security measures are needed at facilities including pipelines, according to Offshore Energies UK, Britain’s main lobby group for the oil and gas industry.

Britain’s offshore facilities already have well-tested security arrangements, but it’s sensible to see if there’s “anything else we could and should be doing to be prepared from a physical security perspective,” Mark Wilson, OEUK operations director, told reporters on Thursday.

UK Becomes Net Electricity Exporter (4:46 p.m.)

The UK exported more power than it imported during the second quarter of the year for the first time since 2010. The volume both of electricity and gas leaving the UK jumped nearly 600% in the three months to June this year compared to the previous year, according to UK government data.

It’s unclear whether such high volumes of exports can be sustained. There’s likely to be rising demand within the UK as it gets dark and cold, meaning some flows out of the country may have to be curtailed when supplies get tight.

RWE to Restart Three Idled Lignite Plants (2:55 p.m.)

RWE AG will bring back three lignite-fired power plants that had been on standby in October, the company said in a statement.

Germany plans to rely more on coal and lignite this winter to help keep the lights on and reduce gas use in electricity generation.

Algeria Locks In Higher Gas Price Deals (2:50 p.m)

Algeria will benefit from higher natural gas prices as it locks in deals with two European Union nations anxious to secure enough natural gas supplies for the coming winter.

State-controlled Algerian energy producer Sonatrach Group concluded a deal with Italy’s Enel SpA on Wednesday and said it will soon announce one with Naturgy Energy Group SA, ending a months-long stalemate with the Spanish utility over contractual price revisions.  

Emir of Qatar to Meet European Leaders Next Week (2:30 p.m.)

Qatar’s ruler plans to attend an informal gathering of European leaders in Prague on Oct. 6, where he will also have the chance to hold bilateral meetings with some of the leaders, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s trip comes as European countries have been jockeying to sign deals with Qatar to access more of its LNG exports.

Germany Pushes Uniper to Get Rid of Russian Assets (1:50 p.m.)

Germany risks being left holding 2.2 billion euros of unsellable Russian energy assets when it takes over Uniper SE at the end of the year.

The government may have no choice but to give up the assets. Even if a sale were possible, President Vladimir Putin has made it almost impossible for international energy companies to secure big financial gains when they exit Russia.

Germany to help with Gas Bills (1:35 p.m.)

The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz set out a plan to limit the impact of soaring gas bills for households and businesses. The measure will be financed by redeploying a fund created to help offset the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and bolstered by €200 billion of borrowing.

Germany is especially vulnerable to the surge in energy costs triggered by the war in Ukraine due to a heavy reliance on imports of Russian gas. 

Repairing Nord Stream To Be Challenging (12:30 p.m.)

Repair works at approximately 70 meters water depth will be “a technical challenge”, said Gerald Linke, chairman at Germany’s gas and water association DVGW. Works are carried out in submersible diving bells that are lowered over the pipeline. 

Water may enter the pipeline, depending on the size of the leak and the topography of the pipeline, Linke said. To take water out, overpressure needs to be applied or water could be forced back by so-called pigs, an equipment with a special pushing device. Pigs are also used to tightly close the two pipeline strings to the left and right of the damaged site.

Europe Looking at How to Increase Protections (12:15 p.m.)

The European Commission says it’s supporting the national authorities conducting the investigation into the leaks from the Nord Stream pipelines, the EU executive’s spokesperson Dana Spinant said at a briefing on Thursday. Brussels is also working with member states to see how to increase protection and resilience of the infrastructure.

Finland Boosts Gas Pipeline Security (11:58 a.m.)

Finland’s network operator Gasgrid has increased security around the Balticconnector pipeline, which connects the Nordic country with Estonia, Finance Minister Annika Saarikko told reporters Thursday.

The attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines earlier this week highlight Finland’s need to ensure it’s sufficiently prepared against threats to critical infrastructure, Saarikko said following a meeting of the cabinet’s preparedness group.

Europe’s Industry Pleads for More Help (11:26 a.m.)

“More immediate and efficient measures” are needed to solve the energy crisis in Europe, trade groups representing energy-intensive industries from fertilizer to glass-making said in a joint statement. Many sectors are suffering plant shutdowns and layoffs as gas prices hold at “unbearable” levels, they said, and called for electricity prices to be disconnected from gas prices.

Germany Nears Deal on Gas Levy Substitute (10:45 a.m.)

Germany’s coalition parties are close to a deal on introducing a so-called gas-price brake as an alternative to a planned levy on consumers, Handelsblatt reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the talks. The government will earmark about 150 billion to 200 billion euros to cover the cost of the price cap, to be funded through the Economic Stabilization Fund that was originally created to address the impact of the Covid pandemic.

NATO Promised ‘Determined’ Response (10:42 a.m.)

NATO allies warned any deliberate attack against allies’ infrastructure would be met with a “united and determined response” following the gas pipeline leaks in the Baltic Sea.

In a joint statement, the North Atlantic Council echoed other officials, saying information currently indicates the leaks are the result of “deliberate, reckless and irresponsible acts of sabotage.” They added they are committed to defending against any “coercive use of energy or hybrid tactics by state and non-state actors.”

Even as Poland has blamed Russia for the damage, the NATO statement refrained from naming any names as a joint investigation by Denmark, Sweden and Germany is underway.

German Regulator Warns of Gas Shortage (11 a.m.)

Germany’s network regulator said gas demand was well above average last week as temperatures fell and said savings of at least 20% are needed to avert a shortage this winter.

“This week’s numbers are very sobering,” Klaus Mueller, president of the Bundesnetzagentur, said in an emailed statement, adding that consumption data provide only a “snapshot” and the situation can quickly change. “Savings must also be made when temperatures continue to fall,” he added. The agency said that gas consumption needs to decline by “at least 20%” to prevent a shortage.

Sweden Says Exact Leak Locations Not Known (9:36 a.m.)

Sweden’s Coast Guard became aware of two leaks in the pipelines in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone at the same time as they learned of two in Denmark on September 26, communicating it on their website, according to a spokesman reached by phone. It isn’t known which parts of the pipelines the leaks are in, he said.

Greece to Get LNG From TotalEnergies (9:08 a.m.)

Greece’s Public Gas Corporation of Greece AE has agreed a deal for the supply of two liquefied natural gas carriers a month for the next five months from November 2022 to March 2023, the country’s Energy Ministry said in emailed statement.

Gas Prices Drop (8:00 a.m.)

European natural gas prices declined as much as 5.4% on Thursday after two days of gains as tensions between Russia and the continent threatened further derailment of gas supplies.

Warmer weather from next week is likely to delay heating demand, bringing some relief to prices.

EU Gas Cap Could Push Up Prices (7:30 p.m. Wednesday)

Capping natural gas prices, a move urged by more than a half of member states seeking to quickly contain the crisis, risks increasing demand for the fuel rather than addressing its scarcity if imposed in isolation, the European Commission said in a document seen by Bloomberg News.

To be effective, an intervention in the gas market should limit the influence of Russia’s manipulation of pipeline supplies and reduce Moscow’s revenues, bring down the price of imported gas for consumers and cut excessive price volatility, according to the commission. The document will be discussed by energy ministers meeting in Brussels on Friday. 

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.

Sabotage of Nord Stream Pipe Lines: A new phase of hybrid war 

in World — by Slavisha Batko Milacic — 01/10/2022

On Tuesday, September 27, Gazprom announced unprecedented damage to the company’s two gas pipelines that run along the bottom of the Baltic Sea to Germany – Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2. Almost immediately, this information was confirmed by the Danes, in whose exclusive economic space near the island of Bornholm the accident occurred. Then the Swedish seismologists spoke about the underwater explosions recorded by them with a capacity of up to 100 kg in TNT equivalent.

It is now well understood that the two largest arteries connecting Europe with Russian gas fields have simultaneously gone out of service for a long time and need substantial repairs. Both branches of the gas pipeline along the bottom of the Baltic sea were able to supply European consumers with up to 110 billion cubic meters of gas per year. For comparison, none of the remaining ones has a capacity of more than 33 billion cubic meters. Moreover, one branch of the gas pipelines passes through the territory of Ukraine engulfed in military chaos, which has long been engaged in gas blackmail, and the second goes through the territory of Poland, from where congratulations are already being heard to the United States for undermining the Baltic “blue artery”.

Russia is convening the UN Security Council on Friday evening, where, obviously, any explanation of what happened, and possibly evidence of sabotage, will be presented. Meanwhile, information is spreading on the network about the strange activity of the US Navy and US Navy aviation in early September on the Nord Stream route at the accident site. A series of recorded flights of NATO military aviation a few weeks ago, as well as tests of underwater drones conducted as part of the BALTOPS 22 exercises, by the way, just on the Danish Bornholm – all this leads to very bad suspicions.

Now, even if Berlin is ready for direct compromises with Moscow in gas supplies, it is dependent on Poland and the Czech Republic, through whose territories the remaining branches go. And this, not to mention Ukraine, controls a significant segment of the Pomary – Uzhgorod gas pipeline. True, there are two more branches along the bottom of the Black Sea, however, Turkey, where they lead, is itself interested in Russian gas.

Naturally, Washington and Brussels will try to lay responsibility for the destruction of gas pipelines on Russia. Actually, on the afternoon of September 28, the largest media outlets in Great Britain and Germany announced that they had been put out of action by the “special unit of naval saboteurs” of Russian military intelligence. Of course, this is a compliment to the Russian army, since it turns out that the Russians blew up pipes in the zone of permanent NATO military exercises under the noses of the US and Danish navies. But is the current situation beneficial to Moscow?

If Berlin wants to warm the people of Germany, he now has no alternative but to urgently put pressure on Ukraine and Poland, reduce the intensity of anti-Russian rhetoric and somehow end the war. After all, after the sabotage at the Nord Stream, the leadership of Germany does not have the opportunity to conclude a “behind-the-scenes gas deal” with the Kremlin. Also Poland is completely under American influence, and attacks on Berlin have been heard more than once from the warring Kyiv. German politicians simply will not be listened to. And it is unlikely that the Kremlin, even in the most rosy dreams, imagined how the Bundeswehr urgently takes under protection branches of life-saving gas pipelines on foreign territory. Greater realists than Russian politicians are hard to find.

So, if you argue in the traditions of the Roman Parliament, “Who benefits?” – there is only one answer, the main beneficiary of the consequences of two explosions in the Baltic Sea is Washington, which in winter can become the main savior of Europe, supplying liquefied gas. However, let’s not forget about the small players. Nord Stream is not the only gas pipeline running along the bottom of the Baltic. Central Europe receives part of its gas from Norway. However, the gas production of this northern Scandinavian country is already operating at the capacity limit.

In any case, the trial, which starts on Friday, is unlikely to end with a call to account for the true culprits of the man-made disaster. The United States, of course, will declare its non-involvement, as will the Russian Federation, and Poland, and Denmark. And the organization of emergency repair of damaged areas in the current geopolitical situation is virtually impossible. Moreover, blowing up a gas pipeline running through a shallow depth is much easier than restoring it. So, now the Germans hardly have a chance to survive the winter without much loss.

Well, the explosions at Bornholm, obviously, will become the same mystery of world history as the assassination of Kennedy. We hardly know for sure about its true performers!

Slavisha Batko Mila

cic: I live in Podgorica (capital of Montenegro), I am 31 years old, and I graduated history at University of Montenegro. My specialist graduate thesis was: “Foreign Policy of Russia from 1905 to 1917”. I have been doing analytics for years, writing in English and Serbian about the situation in the Balkans and Europe.