Copenhagen, Sept 27 (AFP/APP): Leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines near a Danish island in the Baltic Sea are due to sabotage, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Tuesday.
“The clear advice from the authorities is they were deliberate acts. We are not talking about an accident,” she told a press conference.
Copenhagen expects the leaks at the pipelines, which are not operational but full of gas, to last “at least a week” — until the methane escaping from the underwater pipes runs out, Energy and Climate Minister Dan Jorgensen said.
“We don’t have information yet about those responsible,” Frederiksen added.
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines have been at the centre of geopolitical tensions in recent months as Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in suspected retaliation against Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.
While the pipelines — operated by a consortium majority-owned by Russian gas giant Gazprom — are not currently in operation, they both still contain gas.
One of the leaks on Nord Stream 1 occurred in the Danish economic zone and the other in the Swedish economic zone, while the Nord Stream 2 leak was in the Danish economic zone.
A leak was first reported on Nord Stream 2 on Monday.
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