Nord Stream leaks a 'new phase of hybrid warfare'?

Russia is practiced in undersea combat

Created: 09/30/2022, 13:56

By: Leonie Hudelmaier

The Nord Stream 1 gas leak in the Baltic Sea photographed from a Swedish Coast Guard aircraft.

© Swedish Coast Guard/dpa

Nord Stream was probably attacked.

How secure is Europe's critical infrastructure against acts of sabotage above and below water?

Munich - The dark depths of the sea are not quite as untouched as some people assume.

Not only pipelines run along the seabed of the Baltic Sea, but also a large number of underwater IT cables.

With the sabotage of the Nord Stream tubes, the security issue is now becoming much more important.

Is Europe's critical infrastructure above and below the water still safe?

The fact that the European energy infrastructure can be the victim of attacks of any kind is not a new topic among experts.

In June, the US foreign intelligence agency CIA warned of a possible attack on the gas pipelines.

In August, after a visit to the federal police in See, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) declared that Germany must be prepared against “attacks on gas terminals and other critical infrastructure”.

The traffic light had plans for protecting critical infrastructure anyway.

Nord Stream: "Russians have been waging wars under the sea for a long time"

Attacks under the water surface in particular are gaining in importance.

Even if no perpetrator has been identified in this case: "The Russians have been waging undersea wars for a long time to destroy pipelines," Joachim Krause, director of the Institute for Security Policy at the University of Kiel, told our newspaper.

The security policy expert had already warned in 2021 that Nord Stream 2 could be used by Russia for military purposes.

For example, to use special listening devices to view the underwater space in the Baltic Sea.

However, attacks in the depths of the sea also harbor dangers for another important component of the critical infrastructure: information technology.

95 percent of global data traffic runs along the sea floor via so-called undersea cables.

A lot of data also crosses the Baltic Sea and North Sea off Germany.

Despite their enormous importance, the underwater networks are "almost not protected at all against attacks or acts of sabotage," a high-ranking Bundeswehr man told

Although it is not that easy to cut through the thick submarine cables, "the safety of cables and pipelines is a major challenge," says security policy expert Krause.

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The attack on the two almost inactive gas pipelines is like a security policy wake-up call for the northern states of Europe.

"The alleged act of sabotage on the Baltic Sea pipelines shows us once again that we are dependent on critical infrastructure - including under water," said Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) on Wednesday.

The Minister underlined the importance of a strong German Navy.

This also wants to participate in the search for the cause of the leaks and is to be equipped in the future, among other things, with maritime patrol aircraft, naval helicopters and new submarines.

Krause also confirms: "Submarine reconnaissance is everything at the moment."

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Norway announced that it would increase security at its oil facilities.

According to the Norwegian Energy Minister Terje Aasland, the security of the infrastructure, terminals and installations on the mainland will be increased.

The Latvian Foreign Minister Edgar Rinkevics also expressed concern and spoke of a serious security and environmental incident in the Baltic Sea.

"It seems that we are entering a new phase of hybrid warfare."

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