Danish Defence Command/dpa
The explosions at Nord Stream 1 and 2 point to old Soviet tactics, says the former head of Ukraine’s state gas company. However, the pipelines could easily be repaired.
The events remind the former chief manager of the Ukrainian energy supplier Naftogaz of methods from the Soviet era: Andriy Kobolev is certain that Russia is behind the explosions in the gas pipelines, as he was in one Interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” says that also from the “Tages-Anzeiger” published became. The reason is that Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin “wants to use trade deals as a geopolitical lever, or, as they say today – “turn them into hybrid weapons”.
The gas market expert finds it inconceivable that a country other than Russia could have attached explosives to the pipeline without the Russians noticing. The pipelines, Kobolev explains in an interview, are equipped with countless sensors that allow Russia not only to monitor the gas flow, but also to observe the area around the pipeline in the water: “If the pipeline is well guarded by the Russians and the Baltic Sea is home to the Russian Navy – how could anyone else have approached the pipeline unnoticed?”
Booby traps probably installed during construction
Rather, it can be assumed that Russia had already attached the explosives when the pipeline was built. This method has been known since Soviet times: “Back then it was common to attach explosives to every newly built critical infrastructure. Because it had to be destroyed quickly in the event of war,” explains Kobolev.
Attaching explosives to the pipeline unnoticed was not particularly difficult for Russia: Because foreign companies had already been sanctioned during the last construction phase of Nord Stream 2, the pipeline was “completed by Russian ships alone. These production ships were escorted by Russian warships. And the pipeline was completed exactly at the point where the explosion now occurred.”
Pipelines that weren’t built by the Russians, on the other hand, pose no threat, Kobolev believes. It would be “too risky and too complicated” to destroy the Norwegian pipeline.
Sweden closes sea area for investigations
Meanwhile, more and more gas is escaping from one of the four leaks. As the Swedish Coast Guard reports, even more than before: At the smaller of the two exit points in the country’s economic zone, the area where this can be observed has increased significantly. The diameter has doubled to 30 meters compared to the weekend. The reasons for this are so far unclear.
Only at the weekend did Danish and Swedish authorities communicatedthat hardly any gas escapes from the leaks. The operator, Nord Stream AG, had informed them that the pressure in the pipelines had stabilized. In the meantime, the Swedish public prosecutor’s office has cordoned off an area five nautical miles (nearly nine kilometers) wide to conduct investigations into the alleged case of sabotage.
A Swedish submarine rescue ship and ships from the Swedish Coast Guard were dispatched to the two leaks off the Swedish coast, according to prosecutors. It remained unclear whether divers or submarines are able to reach the pipelines.
Repair would be possible quite quickly
Andriy Kobolev does not believe that the pipelines were irreparably damaged after the explosions, as some experts feared. On the contrary: the pipes are easy to repair and the work would not take longer than a month.
“All this talk about the pipeline being completely destroyed by corrosion is nonsense. These pipelines were built to withstand water.” You have to reckon with a shortened overall lifetime, but you could put the pipelines back into operation.