Topline
The Danish Energy Agency tweeted Saturday gas appears to have finished leaking out of the ruptured Nord Stream 2 pipeline while Nord Stream 1 continues spilling its remaining fuel into the Baltic Sea due to series of mysterious leaks in the majority Russian-owned natural gas pipelines caused by apparent explosions, which have led Russian and Western officials to accuse each other of sabotage.
Danish Defense shows the gas leaking at Nord Stream 2 seen from the Danish F-16 interceptor on … [+]
Key Facts
President Joe Biden labeled the Nord Stream leaks Friday a “deliberate act of sabotage,” while NATO and the European Union have also claimed the explosions were on purpose, though western authorities have stopped short of directly blaming Russia.
Earlier Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the leaks on “terror attacks” carried out by Western “Anglo-Saxons” in the speech that announced his intention to illegally annex four Ukrainian regions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has dismissed allegations claiming Russia is behind the destruction, calling them “predictable, absurd and stupid,” while Putin claims the West stands to “profit” from the ruptures, forcing pipeline clients to rely on other gas options than Russia.
The leaks come as Russia has limited fuel supplies to Europe ahead of cold winter weather, cutting off gas flow from Nord Stream 1 earlier this month, blaming Western sanctions for causing technical problems.
European security officials also spotted Russian Navy support vessels near the site of the leaks around the time two undersea explosions were recorded Monday, according to CNN, which occurred shortly before the leaks were discovered, though Russian naval activity is not unusual in the area.
Denmark and Sweden, which control the waters where the leaks are, told the United Nations this week the leaks appeared to be caused by the equivalent of “several hundred kilos” of explosives.
Key Background
Four leaks were discovered Monday following pressure drops in the two Nord Stream pipelines, which run between Russia and Germany. Neither pipeline was actively transporting Russian gas but there was fuel still present in the lines, which is now leaking into the Baltic Sea, with photos showing large, bubbling areas on the surface of the water above the ruptures. All the leaks are near the Danish island Bornholm, leading Danish officials to issue a warning for vessels not to travel within five nautical miles of the leaks. Even before the leaks, the Nord Stream pipelines were among the highest-profile examples of the economic clash between Russia and the West in response to the war in Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dropped certification of the long-awaited Nord Stream 2 just two days before Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine. Russia was responsible for supplying about 40% of Europe’s gas supplies prior to the war.
Surprising Fact
Controversy-prone Fox News host Tucker Carlson suggested on his show Tuesday that the U.S. was somehow behind the leaks. Biden warned Friday that Russia is deliberately “pumping out disinformation and lies” saying a Western conspiracy is behind the leaks.
Tangent
It’s not clear how much gas has been released from the pipelines, but experts are warning the Nord Stream leaks could cause the biggest single release of methane ever recorded. Methane contributes significantly more to the planet-warming greenhouse effect than other gases like carbon dioxide, but it’s unclear at this point what impact the leaks could have on climate change.
What We Don’t Know
It’s not clear at this point how the pipelines may be repaired and if they will be able to supply gas in the future.
Further Reading
Unexplained Leaks Hit Russia’s Shuttered Gas Pipelines To Europe (Forbes)
Nord Stream spill could be biggest methane leak ever but not catastrophic (Washington Post)
West rejects Putin’s claim it sabotaged Baltic gas pipelines (Associated Press)
Biden calls Nord Stream pipeline leaks a ‘deliberate act of sabotage’ (CNN)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/10/01/pipeline-sabotage-some-leaking-stops-as-russians-and-west-point-fingers-over-nord-stream-attack/