The Nord Stream pipeline, which transports gas from Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany, is now being reported to have a fourth leak, following initial leaks reported earlier this week. Environmental and shipping concerns are now central to the ongoing issue and debate over the cause of the leaks.
On September 29, NATO officially declared that the damage recorded to the Nord Stream pipelines was as a result of ‘deliberate sabotage’.
The statement has been followed by similar speculations from the Danish and Swedish governments.
Prior to the discovery of these leaks, several explosions along the pipeline were recorded. On September 26, seismic stations in Sweden, Denmark and Finland detected explosions. The second explosion registered as equal to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake.
Whilst the blame is yet to be applied to any one party, experts have commented on the fact that the explosions were from the water, and not the seabed, ruling out natural earthquakes. This indicates that the explosions were carried out intentionally.
With tensions worsening between Russia and the West, governments and officials are restrained from pointing fingers until an investigation is complete.
More to follow as this story progresses.
