The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, where gas leaks were reported on 26 September, may have been damaged in a deliberate attack, German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reports, citing a source familiar with the investigation.
“At this point, we cannot imagine any other scenario except a planned attack. Everything points to the fact that it is not a coincidence,” the newspaper’s source said.
According to Der Tagesspiegel, the pipelines may have been damaged by divers or attacked from a submarine. The investigation is considering two versions of what happened: one version says Ukraine or pro-Ukrainian forces are behind the attack, while the other one suggests that Russia may have been involved in the incident, the newspaper notes.
On 26 September, gas leaks were reported on two strings of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in the exclusive economic zone of Denmark to the northeast of the island of Bornholm. Later, another leak was documented on one of the strings of Nord Stream 2 in Denmark’s exclusive economic zone to the southeast of Bornholm. It is not clear how long it will take specialists to fix the damage, the company said.
When asked whether the incident could be a result of sabotage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “We can’t rule out any option.”