Explosions at the Nord Stream Pipelines. According to Russia, damage can be repaired: the situation in the news ticker.
+++ 18:32: The damage caused by the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines should be repairable, said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak on Sunday (October 2nd). In order to make the gas pipelines operational again, all that is needed is the appropriate funds and enough time, according to CNN from an interview with the TV channel Russia 1 TV.
He is certain “that appropriate options will be found,” but first someone responsible for the explosions must be found, Novak said. He suspected the states that had taken a negative attitude towards the Nord Stream project. Specifically, he mentioned the USA, Poland and Ukraine.
Nord Stream leaks: Danish authorities give the all-clear
+++ 15:59: After the gas leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines, the Danish authorities have now given the all-clear. As a result, gas is apparently no longer escaping from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. The operator, Nord Stream AG, had been informed that the pressure in the pipeline had also stabilized at Nord Stream 1, the authority said on Sunday afternoon on Twitter with. This indicates that no more gas is escaping. The Danes had already announced the same status for Nord Stream 2 on Saturday.
Nord Stream leaks: cautious all-clear for a pipeline – Germany announces investigations
Update from Sunday, October 2, 9.46 a.m .: Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann considers it possible in principle that the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines will also be investigated in Germany. “It is possible that a crime was committed here for which the Federal Public Prosecutor could take over the prosecution,” said the FDP politician of the picture on Sunday. The sites of the explosion are in the Baltic Sea in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Denmark and Sweden, but the tubes lead from Russia to Germany.
“Then it might be about anti-constitutional sabotage with repercussions on Germany. The criminal offense of causing an explosives explosion is also an option.” If the suspicion is confirmed, the main focus would be cooperation with other countries, especially the EU. “The goal would be to get hold of the perpetrators and bring them to justice in Germany.” According to the Criminal Code, anti-constitutional sabotage carries a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) announced a joint investigation team with Denmark and Sweden. “All indications point to acts of sabotage on the Nord Stream pipelines,” she told Bild am Sonntag. Germany is working very closely with Denmark and Sweden to clarify the background. “We now want to form a Joint Investigation Team – a joint investigation team under EU law, to which all three states will send investigators.”
Nord Stream leaks: A cautious all-clear for a pipeline – No more gas is leaking
+++ 5:57 p.m .: Careful all-clear for the gas leaks in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. No gas is currently leaking from the damaged gas pipeline. The pressure in the gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea has now fallen to the same level as the water pressure, a spokesman for the operating company told the AFP news agency on Saturday. “So the water pressure has more or less sealed the pipeline, preventing the gas inside from escaping.”
Nord Stream leaks: full police presence at sea – protection against sabotage will be increased
+++ 1:37 p.m .: After Olaf Scholz (SPD) promised support for the investigations into the leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines on Friday evening (September 30), the security measures are also being tightened. Germany and its allies in the EU and NATO agree that “precautions and protection against sabotage for critical infrastructure” must be strengthened, as the French news agency AFP quotes government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit.
“We are in talks with our allies to increase the (military) presence in the Norwegian sector,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Störe. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that the federal police were at sea “with all available forces” against the background of the current threat situation.
Nord Stream Pipelines: There is no timetable from Russia yet
+++ 6.22 a.m .: According to the Russian state gas company Gazprom, there is currently no foreseeable timetable for repairing the leaks in the natural gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2. The group has started to look for “possible solutions to make the system work again,” said spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov on Friday (September 30) via video link in front of the UN Security Council in New York at a debate requested by Russia the leaks.
However, the duration of this repair cannot be estimated at this time. From a technical point of view, the task was “very overwhelming”. Such leaks have never existed before.
Nord Stream leaks: “Deliberate act of sabotage” – spokesman gives details after consultations with Scholz
+++ 9.45 p.m .: After the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) consulted with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the heads of government of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. “All the information currently available points to a deliberate act of sabotage on the pipelines,” said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit after Scholz’s video conference.
Scholz has promised Denmark and Sweden that Germany will support them in the joint investigation. Together with the partners and allies in NATO and the EU, precautions and protection against sabotage for critical infrastructure will be strengthened.
News on the Nord Stream pipelines: Putin thinks “the Anglo-Saxons” are responsible
+++ 18:25: After announcing the annexation of the four Ukrainian regions today, Vladimir Putin also commented on the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines. While he constantly talked about the “West” in his speech on the annexation, Putin also blamed “the Anglo-Saxons” for the explosions, as the French news agency AFP writes. Since the sanctions were no longer sufficient, “the Anglo-Saxons” had now resorted to “sabotage”, said the ruler in Moscow on Friday (September 30).
In a joint statement, the defense ministers of the Nordic countries Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland said it could well have been a “imprudent attack on Europe’s energy infrastructure”. It could be an attempt “to destabilize the already tense security situation,” AFP quoted from the letter.
News on the Nord Stream Pipelines: Debate in the UN Security Council
+++ 4:00 p.m .: Before the UN Security Council’s urgent debate about the leaks in the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, Denmark and Sweden have provided the Council with up-to-date information. At least two explosions happened underwater, the two Scandinavian countries wrote in a letter. Seismological institutes have measured a strength of 2.3 and 2.1, which “probably corresponds to an explosive charge of several hundred kilograms”. All available information indicated that the explosions were deliberate.
Two leaks each occurred in the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden, and the gas rising from them covered areas several hundred meters on the surface. On the Swedish side, these would have had a radius of around 900 and 200 meters on Thursday, and on the Danish side of around 555 and 680 meters, respectively. The operator of Nord Stream 1 has come to the conclusion that the gas leak from the pipeline will last until October 2nd. A similar assessment of Nord Stream 2 is still pending.
News on the Nord Stream pipelines: Russia wants “evidence” of sabotage
+++ 11.30 a.m .: After the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines, the question of guilt is still unresolved. While the West accuses Russia, Moscow suspects the USA and NATO (see update from 10.30 a.m.). Now the head of the Russian foreign intelligence agency SWR has gone one step further. According to Sergei Naryshkin, Russia has evidence that the West is responsible for the leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines. This is reported by the Russian news agency Interfax . The spy chief did not say what evidence there should be.
+++ 10.30 a.m .: The Russian leadership has called for clarification of the alleged sabotage on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines and presented the USA as the main suspect. “But it is obvious that the main beneficiary (of the pipeline explosions), especially economically, is the United States,” National Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said at a meeting with CIS intelligence chiefs, according to the Interfax news agency. Patrushev accused the West of launching a campaign against Russia as soon as the leaks became known. It is therefore necessary to intensify the cooperation of the secret services within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a loose association of former Soviet states, and to unveil the “clients and agents of the crime”.
Update from Friday, September 30, 8:00 a.m.: European security officials apparently spotted two Russian naval vessels near the leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea on Monday and Tuesday. This is reported by the US broadcaster CNN , citing Western intelligence officials. Russian submarines are also said to have been in the area in the past week, the station reports.
+++ 10.45 p.m .: After Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov first commented on the leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines (see update from 2.15 p.m.), the Russian President now also found clear words. Vladimir Putin described the leaks as an “act of international terrorism”. The Kremlin said that during a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, Putin spoke of an “unprecedented sabotage” against the gas pipelines from Russia to Germany. In view of this, Russia has requested an emergency debate in the UN Security Council for Friday (September 30).
The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office had previously opened a case of international terrorism over the alleged sabotage of the pipelines. So far it is unclear who is behind the damage to the Baltic Sea pipelines. The Kremlin vehemently denies any responsibility.
News about the Nord Stream pipelines: Researchers report possible third explosion
+++ 7.10 p.m .: Researchers have apparently registered a third explosion in connection with the leaks in the Nord Stream pipeline. The blast may have occurred at the same time as the second blast recorded on Monday, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) said in a statement on Thursday.
However, these could also be “reflections from the second explosion” that occurred around 7 a.m. on Monday (September 29). Further studies could provide more information in the future. The institute recorded two tremors in the Baltic Sea on Monday. These would not resemble those of earthquakes, but “the signals that are typically recorded by explosions,” CNN quoted the agency as saying.
Nord Stream Pipelines: High-yield bombs deployed
+++ 4 p.m .: According to information from the news magazine Spiegel , the German security authorities assume that the damage to the Baltic Sea pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2 can only have been caused by bombs with enormous explosive power. The experts’ calculations indicate that explosive devices were used, the effect of which is comparable to that of 500 kilograms of TNT. This estimate also indicates that only one state actor can be responsible for this.
Nord Stream pipelines: Russia speaks of “act of terrorism”
+++ 2.15 p.m .: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea as “acts of terrorism”. According to the Reuters news agency, Peskow said that investigations must now be carried out in cooperation with other countries. The spokesman did not name which countries he meant by that. Asked about reports from the American broadcaster CNN that support boats and submarines from the Russian Navy were not far from the leaks, Peskov said the NATO presence in the Baltic Sea was much larger.
Nord Stream pipelines: NATO assumes sabotage
+++ 1:15 p.m .: The leaks in the gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 are also due to sabotage, according to NATO. “All information currently available indicates that this is the result of intentional, reckless and irresponsible acts of sabotage,” the North Atlantic Council of 30 said in a statement. A possible person responsible is not named in the statement. In the morning, Russia had indicated that the United States was to blame for the incidents (see update from 11:40 a.m.). At the same time, the NATO countries make it clear that “any deliberate attack on the critical infrastructure of the alliance partners” would be answered with a “joint and resolute reaction”.
Nord Stream pipelines: Expert gives reasons for possible Russian sabotage
+++ 10.25 a.m .: Security expert Johannes Peters considers it “relatively unlikely” that the damage to the Baltic Sea pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2 could have been caused by an accident. Rather, he suspects Russia behind the alleged act of sabotage. “Obviously, it seems a bit absurd to destroy your own pipelines,” said the expert from the Institute for Security Policy at the University of Kiel in the ARD morning magazine. But there are good reasons for this.
One reason is certainly to send a “strong signal” to Europe, especially to Germany and Poland, that the same thing could be done with pipelines that are much more important for our security of supply, such as the pipelines from Norway: “So be together not so sure that you are well prepared for the winter and that you are able to compensate for our gas.” Another possible reason is that in winter “the still intact Nord Stream 2 tube can be used to To increase pressure on Germany if, for example, domestic political pressure on the government should increase because gas prices are high, because we might not have enough gas for the winter after all”. Then Russia could offer to deliver gas through the intact pipeline after all. For this, however, Germany would have to “pull out of the Western sanctions regime”.
Nord Stream Pipelines: Fourth leak discovered
+++ 7.30 a.m .: The Swedish Coast Guard has discovered a fourth leak in the Nord Stream pipelines. It is located on Sweden’s territory, as reported by the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet . Gas flows out of the leak to the surface of the water. Accordingly, the point on the pipeline was apparently damaged by remote-controlled explosive devices. The investigations are still ongoing.
Update from Thursday, September 29, 4:30 a.m .: The explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines could have “destroyed some lines forever”. This is reported by the Tagesspiegel , citing government circles in Berlin. These are apparently three strands of the gas pipelines running through the Baltic Sea. In order to stop this, urgent repairs are now necessary, it said. Otherwise, the inflow of large amounts of salt water could lead to “corrosion” of the pipelines. In such a case, etching is considered likely.
The operator of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline recently did not rule out repair measures. A company spokesman for the German Press Agency said on Wednesday. However, no concrete plans for repairs were presented either.
Alleged sabotage causes energy prices to rise again
+++ 9:20 p.m .: European companies are stepping up security after the alleged sabotage of two pipelines supplying natural gas from Russia underscored the vulnerability of Europe’s energy infrastructure. As a result, energy prices continue to rise. The EU also warned of possible sanctions, reports CBC News.
Some European officials and energy experts said Russia is likely to blame for the sabotage – it benefits directly from higher energy prices and economic turmoil in Europe. On Wednesday, Russian energy giant Gazprom stepped up the pressure, threatening on Twitter to stop trading with the Ukrainian gas company.
Nord Stream leaks: Russia launches ‘terrorism’ investigation
+++ 8:23 p.m .: Russia’s secret service FSB launched investigations into “international terrorism” after the damage to the Nord Stream pipelines. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office told Telegram on Wednesday that the preliminary investigation was launched after gas pipelines near the island of Bornholm were “deliberately” damaged, causing “significant economic damage” to Russia.
Nord Stream Pipelines: Possible “giant crack” after explosions
+++ 4.30 p.m .: After the explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, it remains unclear whether repairs are still possible. Before a procedure can be determined, the damage must be assessed, a spokesman for Nord Stream AG told the German Press Agency . So far there are no pictures of the actual leaks. It was “unprecedented” that such damage had occurred to several lines within a short period of time.
Nord Stream 2 AG is also still unaware of the exact damage to its largely parallel pipeline. “No one can seriously say at the moment what it looks like down there,” said spokesman Ulrich Lissek. The extent can only be estimated based on the extensive formation of bubbles. “The structural integrity of the pipeline must be massively damaged.” He spoke of a possible “giant crack”.
Nord Stream Pipelines: Kremlin rejects all allegations
+++ 2.45 p.m .: The Kremlin has rejected allegations that Russia is allegedly responsible for the leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines. It is “stupid and absurd to make such assumptions,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to the Interfax agency . In Ukraine, there have been allegations that Russia deliberately sabotaged the pipelines to exacerbate Europe’s energy crisis and spark pre-winter panics. The European Union considers sabotage to be the likely cause and has threatened countermeasures. However, she left open who she held responsible. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also spoke of sabotage (see update from 11.45 a.m.).
Nord Stream Pipelines: NATO also speaks of sabotage
+++ 11.45 a.m .: In connection with the leaks in the Baltic Sea gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has now spoken of sabotage. In a conversation with the Danish Defense Minister Morten Bødskov it was about “the sabotage” of the pipelines, the Norwegian wrote on Twitter. They also talked about protecting critical infrastructure in NATO countries.
Bødskov said in Brussels that with so much gas in the lines, it could take a week or two for the area to calm down enough to investigate the leaks at about 80 meters below the surface. He emphasized that the incidents took place in international waters and that the infrastructure was not critical for his country. The total of three leaks are located there in the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden.
Nord Stream Pipelines: EU considers sabotage likely
+++ 8.45 a.m .: The European Union considers acts of sabotage on the Nord Stream pipelines to be likely. Those responsible are apparently threatened with sanctions from the EU side, as was heard from Brussels on Wednesday morning. “All available information indicates that these leaks are the result of a deliberate act,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on behalf of the 27 member states. Any intentional disruption to Europe’s energy infrastructure will “be met with a robust and collective response.”
Nord Stream Pipelines: Sabotage by Russia?
+++ 17:46: “A leak in three different places with such a large distance between them can only be the result of a deliberate act or sabotage,” said Norwegian military scientist and naval officer Tor Ivar Strömmen on Tuesday (September 27) of the AFP news agency . At the same time, Russia is the only possible person responsible for him.
+++ 3.45 p.m .: Ukraine also described the leaks found on Nord Stream pipelines as sabotage. It was a “terrorist attack,” said Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was “nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression against the EU,” he wrote on Twitter. Russia’s aim is to destabilize Europe in winter, especially in the energy sector. “The best response” to such a provocation is “tanks for Ukraine,” Podoliak said.
+++ 1.45 p.m .: Two more leaks were apparently discovered in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. This is reported by the Reuters news agency. Gas is now escaping into the Baltic Sea, it said. The offshore lines of the Russian-owned gas pipeline have suffered “unprecedented” damage. The information cannot be independently verified.
+++ 12.30 p.m .: Russia has not ruled out sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. “Now no variant can be ruled out,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “Obviously there is a destruction of the line. And what the reason for that is – until the time when the results of the investigations come out, you can’t rule out any variant,” he said. The Russian government is “extremely concerned” about the sudden drop in pressure in the pipelines.
Update from Tuesday, September 27, 11:15 a.m .: According to Danish authorities, a total of three leaks have been discovered on the two Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. The operators had previously reported a drop in pressure in the tubes. This is reported by the NDR .
Two of the three leaks found are on Nord Stream 1 northeast of the island of Bornholm, one on Nord Stream 2 southeast of the island. In the case of Nord-Stream 1, one leak is in Danish and the other in Swedish waters, in the case of Nord-Stream 2 in Danish, according to the Danish Energy Agency. Since none of the natural gas pipelines are currently in operation, the incidents currently have no impact on the energy supply in Europe.
First report from Tuesday, September 27: Berlin – In the past few days, an unusual drop in pressure has been measured in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. The capacities fell unplanned. This is obviously not a coincidence, as the federal government suspects.
The Tagesspiegel reports that the government is assuming targeted attacks on the pipelines. “We can’t imagine a scenario where this isn’t a targeted attack,” an anonymous person privy to the federal government’s and federal agencies’ assessment told the newspaper. “Everything speaks against a coincidence.”
Nord Stream Pipelines: Sudden Pressure Drop – Are Attacks Behind It?
Both the Federal Network Agency and the Federal Ministry of Economics said on Monday evening (September 26) that the reason for the pressure drop in the Nord Stream pipelines was not yet known. They are in contact with the relevant authorities, it said. Part of the planned investigations is probably an analysis of the seabed around the pipelines. Navy divers and submarines are used for this. According to the Tagesspiegel report, there are two possible scenarios to explain the unusual drop in pressure: According to this, saboteurs from both Russia and Ukraine could be behind it. However, these are guesses. Neither of the two responsible governments has commented on this so far. (tu/mse/cs/kas with dpa/AFP)
