The Swedish Maritime Authority (SMA) issued an alert on Tuesday about two leaks on the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 1 in the Baltic Sea.
« There are two leaks on Nord Stream 1 – one in the Swedish economic zone and one in the Danish economic zone. They are very close to each other » an SMA spokesperson told Reuters.
The reasons for the leaks, which occurred northeast of the Danish island of Bornholm, are not yet clear, he said.
Another SMA spokesperson told the agency that the Swedish authorities were « keep extra watch to make sure no ships come too close to the site. »
On Monday, Denmark announced that it had discovered leaks in Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, southeast of Bornholm.
The gas pipeline operator has confirmed a drop in pressure on the two lines of Nord Stream 1 and on Nord Stream 2.
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Russian gas pipelines could have been sabotaged – Tagesspiegel
Meanwhile, a report by the Tagesspiegel newspaper claimed that German authorities suspected the pipelines were being « targeted attack » which could have been carried out by Ukraine, or by Russia, in an attempt to shift the blame to Kyiv.
Gas infrastructure has been at the heart of the current energy standoff between Russia and the EU.
The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was completed in September 2021, but never entered commercial operation, as Berlin halted its certification indefinitely just days before the start of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine.
Nord Stream 1 supplied gas to Europe until late August, when Russia cut deliveries, citing technical difficulties stemming from Western sanctions. The EU says the pipeline closure was politically motivated.
Although the pipelines are not operational at the moment, they are still full of pressurized gas, according to German news agency DPA.
