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.
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.
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
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
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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.
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
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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
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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)
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)
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