Sabotage is believed to be behind the gas leak on Nord Stream 1 and 2 off Bornholm on Monday. Measuring stations have registered strong underwater explosions in the area in which the leaks were discovered, reports SVT.
Alexander Hultman, TT, David Peterson
Updated 15:42
Published at 07:39
Measuring stations in both Sweden and Denmark registered strong underwater explosions in the Baltic Sea on Monday, reports SVT. The explosions are said to have occurred in the same area where the gas leaks on Nord Stream 1 and 2 were discovered.
- You can clearly see how the waves bounce from the bottom to the surface. There is no doubt that it was an explosion, says Björn Lund, lecturer in seismology and director of the Swedish national seismic network, to SVT.
The first explosion was registered at 02.03 on the night of Monday. The second at 19:04 on Monday evening.
The government has held a crisis meeting after the gas leak and a number of different ministries are now collecting as much information as possible, according to Foreign Minister Ann Linde (S).
- Now we have the facts but have to analyze what it means from a security point of view, she tells Expressen.
On Tuesday evening, Linde is expected to hold a crisis management meeting with his Danish foreign minister colleague. Ann Linde does not want to speculate on what is behind the leak, but tells Expressen that it is not out of the question that more similar incidents could occur.
- We must be prepared for that. Putin has shown that he is desperate now, because Ukraine with the support of the West and with its incredible ability to persevere has shown that it was not as easy as Putin thought and then you have to be prepared for him to act irrationally and cruelly, says she.
However, exactly who or what was behind the broken gas lines on the seabed was unclear on Tuesday afternoon.
A chart shows bottom depths of between 40 and 90 meters at the approximate locations of the leaks at Bornholm.
At lunchtime, the Kremlin commented on the gas leaks on Nord Stream 1 and 2.
- No option can be ruled out right now, says Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to Reuters.
He also says the Kremlin is "very concerned" about the situation and is calling for an investigation into the incident.
- This is a question related to energy security on the entire continent, he says.
The German Tagesspiegel reported on Tuesday morning about the information that an attack was suspected from the German side.
- We cannot imagine a scenario that does not involve a targeted attack. Everything points against it being a coincidence, says an anonymous authority source to the newspaper.
Nord Stream AG said in a statement that the damage to the pipelines was "unprecedented", reports Reuters.
The spokesperson does not want to comment on the information about the sabotage, but estimates that it will take time before the damage is repaired.
The suspicions have mainly been directed at Russia and with the aim of using the energy issue as a means against the West.
- That is the main explanation that I have heard so far. Whether that is the case remains to be seen, says Ilmari Käihkö, docent in military science at the Norwegian Defense Academy, to SvD.
Could Russia benefit from this?
- It depends on what has happened. If this has been able to stop the gas deliveries, then Russia may have benefited from this.
Earlier during the war, Russia burned large amounts of natural gas.
- If you stop the gas by destroying the lines, it can be difficult to restart production, which is why they have burned it instead, says Ilmari Käihkö.
According to Käihkö, the leak focuses on how dependent the West continues to be on Russian energy.
- The green transformation has been delayed, otherwise it would have partially solved this problem.
Niklas Rossbach, security policy analyst at FOI, highlights that Russia has previously been adept at finding reasons why the country cannot supply gas to Europe.
- If the Russians were to be behind it, it would be an additional reason not to deliver gas to Europe via Nord Stream. They could also use it as a way to blame the West or Ukraine for the attack. But as I said, it's just speculation, we don't know what has happened, he tells TT.
Tagesspiegel has reported that Ukraine may also have an interest in damaging the gas pipeline, which would force Russia to export gas via Poland or Ukraine. There are also theories about a Russian "false flag" operation. According to it, the attack must have been carried out with the aim of directing suspicions towards Ukraine.
Tomas Kåberger, professor of industrial energy policy at Chalmers University of Technology and former director general of the Swedish Energy Agency, states