First there were reports that there was a leak in the system of the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 in Danish waters southeast of the island of Bornholm. A sudden massive loss of pressure in the pipeline filled with 300 million cubic meters of natural gas was reported, which the Danish Energy Agency linked to damage to the pipeline. According to Reuters, the Danish authorities have therefore instructed all ships to bypass the region for safety reasons.
Only a short time later, Nord Stream AG announced that Nord Stream 1 also experienced a sudden drop in pressure. “Tonight, dispatchers at the Nord Stream 1 control center detected a pressure drop on both branches of the gas pipeline,” the company said in a statement. “The reasons for this are currently being clarified”.
Nord Stream 2 spokesman Ulrich Lissek told AFP news agency that a “large bubble field near Bornholm” had been sighted. He emphasized that “the pipeline was never in operation, but was only prepared for technical operation and was therefore filled with gas”. He pointed out that the pressure in Nord Stream 2 is typically around 105 bar. On the German side it is only 7 bar.
The question now is how can it be that both parallel pipelines leak at the same time in the same area? In the event of a technical failure, only one pipeline would be affected. That much is clear. Not much tectonics is happening in the region, nor has there been any strong seismic activity, making this unlikely. The two pipelines should also hardly run through an area in which they would be endangered by underwater landslides.
As the “Tagesspiegel” reports, the German security authorities have already intervened because a deliberate attack is suspected to be behind it. “We can’t imagine a scenario that isn’t a targeted attack,” said a person familiar with the assessment by the federal government and federal agencies, the newspaper said. It went on to say: “Everything speaks against a coincidence.” Above all, this would have to be carried out with special forces such as navy divers or with a submarine. This could have been either Ukrainian (or Ukraine-allied) forces or a Russian false flag action, authorities say. However, the latter seems rather improbable, since tens of millions of cubic meters of natural gas were lost as a result.
However, a few days ago there was apparently a planned attack on a Russian gas pipeline that leads to Turkey and from there to Europe. According to Russian sources, this was thwarted. Although the FSB did not specify which infrastructure was targeted, according to the “Bloomberg” report, it is likely to be TurkStream, which runs through the Black Sea.
Also, don’t forget that on February 7, Joe Biden threatened to destroy Nord Stream 2. If it can be proven that it was a US attack, it would have to be interpreted as a US military attack on Europe.
According to reports in Telegram a US warship was off Bornholm last Wednesday and today a leak at Nord Stream 2 is detected right there…
Opponents of Russian gas?
The state of emergency at Nord Stream is tantamount to sabotage by known opponents of Russian gas in Europe.
The repairs will take months, Grivach, deputy head of the National Energy Security Fund, told RIA Novosti:
“If there is a leak in a line, it could still be an accident, the result of a breakdown or an involuntary impact, but straight to three – that’s clearly someone’s ill will.
Well, who is fighting Russian gas in Europe is openly known.”
BIDEN: "There will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it."
REPORTER: "How will you do that, exactly? Since the project and control of the project is within Germany's control?"
BIDEN: "I promise you we'll be able to do it." pic.twitter.com/xczO8eqhcS
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 7, 2022
Sources: Report24 and Telegram