CIA is said to have warned the federal government of attacks on Nord Stream weeks ago
Created: 09/28/2022, 05:22
By: Julia Volkenand, Patricia Huber
The Russian gas connection Nord Stream 1 also has problems with the gas pressure.
A leak in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline had previously been identified.
The first
pictures show the extent of the damage
to the pipelines: the largest gas leak causes turbulence with a diameter of around one kilometer.
Ukraine Blames Russia For Leaks: “Act Of Aggression Against EU”
The gas price is rising
as a result of the problems with the Nord Stream pipelines: in the meantime it was 194.74 euros.
This news ticker on the
pressure drop in the gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2
is continuously updated.
Update from September 27, 9:43 p.m .: According to a report by
Der Spiegel
, the CIA had warned the German government
weeks ago of possible attacks on the Baltic Sea pipelines.
Such a tip from the US foreign intelligence service was received in Berlin in the summer, the report said on Tuesday, citing “people familiar with the matter”.
Uppsala University seismologist Peter Schmidt told AFP the Swedish National Seismic Network had recorded two "massive energy release" events near Bornholm.
The cause "can only be an explosion".
Update from September 27, 7:13 p.m .:
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck initially expressed caution on Tuesday about the leaks in the Baltic Sea pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2. Speculations about the causes are prohibited as long as the clarification has not yet taken place, emphasized the Green politician.
Photo provided by the Danish Defense Command shows the Nord Stream 2 gas leak near Bornholm from the air.
© Danish Defense Command/dpa
When asked how worried he was in general about attacks on the energy grid, Habeck said: "Of course we are in a situation in Europe and also in Germany, where critical infrastructure - and the energy supply as a whole - are potential targets." This has already been seen on a smaller scale, he said, referring to wind farms.
"Of course, the critical infrastructure is a potential target, but we didn't just know that since yesterday, it has been the basis of our work for months."
Nord Stream 1 and 2: Ukraine blames Russia for leaks
Update from September 27, 6:12 p.m .:
Ukraine blames Russia for the leaks in the two Nord Stream pipelines.
"This is nothing more than an act of terrorism planned by Russia and an act of aggression against the EU," Ukraine's presidential office external adviser Mykhailo Podoliak wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
Moscow wants to destabilize the economic situation in Europe and create "panic before winter".
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After three leaks in just a short time on the Baltic Sea gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, an act of sabotage cannot be ruled out.
In Poland, Russia and Denmark, a targeted attack on the European gas infrastructure is believed to be the cause of the unprecedented damage to both pipelines.
The exact cause of the damage is still unclear.
German and Danish authorities pointed out that the incidents had no impact on the gas supply, as the pipelines had not recently been used for gas imports.
Update from September 27, 4:12 p.m .:
According to a media report, measuring stations in Sweden and Denmark recorded powerful detonations under water before the Nord Stream gas leaks in the Baltic Sea.
"There is no doubt that these are blasts," seismologist Björn Lund from the Swedish Seismological Network (SNSN) told Swedish radio station SVT on Tuesday.
"You can see very clearly how the waves are bouncing from the bottom of the sea to the surface."
There were two clear detonations in the area on Monday, the broadcaster reported, citing the network – one at 2:03 a.m. and a second at 7:04 p.m. in the evening.
The first images show the extent of the damage to the pipelines
Update from September 27, 3:43 p.m .:
New images from the Danish Navy show how the gas escapes in the sea.
The Danish Navy's website states: "After the three gas leaks occurred on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, restricted zones were established around the leaks for reasons of shipping and air traffic safety."
The images from the Danish armed forces show the gas escaping at sea.
© Screenshot/Twitter @forsvaretdk
Ships and helicopters are in the area to patrol the restricted zones.
Video taken from a helicopter reads: "The largest gas leak causes surface turbulence a little over 1 kilometer in diameter.
The smallest makes a circle of about 200 meters.”
Zelenskyj adviser sees gas leak as "planned terrorist attack"
Update from September 27, 3:25 p.m.:
An adviser to the Ukrainian President Selenskyj takes a clear stance on the gas leaks in the two pipelines on Twitter.
"The NS-1 'gas leak' is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression towards the EU," writes Mykhailo Podolyak on the short message service.
He further writes: "Russia wants to destabilize the economic situation in Europe and trigger a pre-winter panic." The best response and security investment would be to supply Ukraine with tanks.
"Especially the Germans..." he adds.
Gas price rises as a result of problems with the Nord Stream pipelines
Update from September 27, 2:14 p.m .:
The problems with the Russian gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2 are also causing movement on the gas exchange.
As a result of the reports about the pressure drop, the gas price rose again.
The European future rose by a good ten percent on Tuesday to EUR 191.70.
In the meantime, the price even jumped to 194.74 euros.
The problems with the lines have probably raised concerns about the gas infrastructure in Europe.
Before that, the market had calmed down a bit and the price made a bottom.
Kremlin "extremely concerned" about the incident
Update from September 27, 1:07 p.m .: Given
the leaks in the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Russia does not rule out sabotage or other reasons.
"Now no variant can be ruled out," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday when asked whether sabotage could be the reason for the drop in pressure.
“Obviously there is a destruction of the line.
As for the reason for this, until the results of the investigations emerge, you cannot rule out any variant," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.
Pipe systems and shut-off devices in the gas receiving station of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline in Lubmin.
© Stefan Sauer/dpa
The Kremlin is "extremely concerned" about the pressure drop in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 Baltic Sea pipelines. The news is alarming.
The damage to the lines would have to be investigated.
"This is an absolutely unprecedented situation that needs to be clarified quickly," said Peskow.
Security experts suspect sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines
Update from September 27, 11:45 a.m .:
The leaks in the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea gas pipeline occurred in Danish and Swedish territorial waters.
As with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the gas will exit near the island of Bornholm, which belongs to Denmark, as the authorities of both countries announced on Tuesday.
One leak in Nord Stream 1 is therefore on Danish territory and the other on Swedish territory.
Authorities in Germany and Denmark continue to look for the cause of the two leaks.
The Danish Navy and German specialists were trying to find out, the German Press Agency learned from security circles on Tuesday morning.
The cause of the incidents has not yet been clarified.
However, there is a lot to be said for sabotage.
If it were an attack, only a state actor would actually come into question in view of the technical complexity.
After Nord Stream 2: Also pressure drop in sister pipeline Nord Stream 1
First report from September 26, 1:32 p.m .:
Lubmin – One day after the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, the pressure has also fallen sharply in the German-Russian Nord Stream 1 energy route.
Both tubes of Nord Stream 1 are affected, as the company announced on Monday evening.
As a result, the capacity of the pipeline fell to zero unplanned.
The cause is being investigated.
The Federal Ministry of Economics (BMWK) and the Federal Network Agency unanimously announced that they were in contact with each other and with the authorities concerned in order to clarify the matter.
"We currently do not know the causes of the pressure drop," it said.
Nord Stream 2 first hit by pressure problems
Such a pressure drop had already been detected in the sister pipeline Nord Stream 2 on Monday night, but only in one of the two tubes.
During the course of Monday, the responsible naval authorities identified a leak southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm as the probable cause.
The Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 2 has long been controversial - now there was a night-time incident in one of the tubes.
© Jens Büttner/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
The competent Danish authority issued a corresponding notice on Monday afternoon.
A gas leak was observed.
The leak is said to be dangerous to navigation and navigating within five nautical miles of said position is prohibited.
From the point of view of the German Environmental Aid (DUH), there is no major danger to the environment, at least in the short term.