The Swedish Coast Guard confirmed on Thursday that it had discovered a new, smaller gas leak from the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, bringing the number of leaks from Russia’s two gas pipelines to four.
“There are two outbreaks on the Swedish side and two outbreaks on the Danish side,” a coastguard official told AFP news agency.
“The distance is subjective, but they are close together,” the official said, referring to the two escapes on the Swedish side.
“This is a large spill about 900 meters in diameter and a smaller one about 200 meters,” Jenny Larsson, a Coast Guard spokeswoman, told Svenska Dagbladet newspaper.
So far, authorities in both countries had confirmed one leak in the Baltic Sea area belonging to Sweden, northeast of the island of Bornholm, and two in the area belonging to Denmark.
The leaks cause significant tidal waves on the water’s surface, spanning hundreds of meters, making immediate inspection of structures impossible, officials said.
Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the European Union (EU) and NATO claim that the Nord Stream leaks were caused by a “deliberate act” and “sabotage”.
For its part, the Kremlin called European allegations that Russia could be responsible for the damage discovered in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines as “pointless and absurd”, pointing the finger at the United States.
Russian intelligence services (FSB) have opened an investigation into an “act of international terrorism” after the alleged sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, Russia’s attorney general announced on Wednesday.
The prosecutor added that “the Russian Federation has suffered serious economic damage as a result of these acts”.
The United Nations Security Council will meet on Friday at the request of Russia in connection with this sabotage, Sweden and France announced on Wednesday.
Ukraine on Tuesday accused Russia of responsibility for the gas pipeline leak and denounced a “terrorist attack” on the European Union (EU).
The first Nord Stream, which can pump 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year, was shut down after Russia claimed there was an oil leak at the only Russian compressor station still in operation.
Nord Stream 2, on the other hand, never came into effect due to the Berlin infrastructure blockade, not even before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.
However, both pipelines are filled with gas and therefore must maintain a stable pressure.
Source: DN
