Sweden finds new leak in Nord Stream, Russian natural gas to EU 

TOPSHOT - This handout picture released on September 27, 2022 by the Danish Defence Command shows the gas leak at the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as it is seen from the Danish Defence's F-16 rejection response off the Danish Baltic island of Bornholm, south of Dueodde. The two Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Europe have been hit by unexplained leaks, Scandinavian authorities said on September 27, 2022, raising suspicions of sabotage. The pipelines have been at the centre of geopolitical tensions in recent months as Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in suspected retaliation against Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / DANISH DEFENCE " - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Photo by Handout / DANISH DEFENCE / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / DANISH DEFENCE " - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

By TPUwebTeam

September 29, 2022

World

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Sweden has found a new leak in a large us undersea pipeline that carries Russian natural gas to the EU, the fourth discovered this week.

Denmark and Sweden reported gas leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines earlier this week.

NATO said the incidents were the result of “deliberate, reckless and irresponsible acts of sabotage”.

Russia has dismissed suggestions that it attacked its own pipeline as “predictable and stupid”.

Instead, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the explosions occurred in “zones controlled by US intelligence”.

Germany’s ambassador to the UK, Miguel Berger, told the BBC it was clear a non-state actor could not have been responsible for the incidents – in other words, the country had to be responsible.

The Swedish Coast Guard said it had found a fourth leak on Nord Stream 2, very close to the larger leak found earlier on Nord Stream 1.

The EU has repeatedly accused Russia of using gas supplies as a weapon against the West in retaliation for its support for Ukraine.

It is “very clear” who is behind the damage, Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, said without elaborating.

How Russia shuts off gas to Europe

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was “extremely concerned” by the leaks, adding that a deliberate attack could not be ruled out.

EU leaders said any attack on the continent’s energy infrastructure would be met with the “strongest possible response”.

Meanwhile, Norway – which is not in the EU – has announced it will deploy its military to protect oil and gas facilities.

Neither Nord Stream 1 nor 2 are currently carrying gas, although both contain gas.

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which consists of two parallel branches, has not transported any gas since late August, when Russia shut it down saying it needed maintenance.

It stretches 1,200 km (745 mi) under the Baltic Sea from the Russian coast near St. Petersburg to northeastern Germany. Its twin Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was halted after Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

Seismologists were reporting underwater explosions even before the leaks appeared. The Danish Defense Command released footage of the leaks showing bubbles – the largest measuring 1km in diameter – on the surface of the Baltic Sea.