- Merlin Thomas and Robert Plummer
- BBC
Ukraine accused Russia of causing leaks in two gas pipelines to Europe, describing it as a “terrorist attack”.
Adviser to the Ukrainian president, Mykhailo Podolyak, said the damage to the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 lines amounted to an “aggressive act” towards the European Union.
He added that Russia wanted to create panic before winter came, and urged the European Union to step up military support for Ukraine.
This comes at a time when seismologists have talked about the occurrence of underwater explosions before the leaks were discovered.
“There is no doubt that these were explosions,” local media quoted Bjorn Lund of the Swedish National Seismological Center as saying.
On Monday, the operator of Nord Stream 2 warned of a loss of pressure inside the pipeline, and this led to the Danish authorities warning that ships should avoid sailing in the area near the island of Bornholm.
The operator of the “Nord Stream 1” line said that at the same time, the cruise lines suffered “unprecedented” damage in one day.
The Danish Defense Command published footage of leaks showing bubbles on the surface of the Baltic Sea.
“The gas leak from Nord Stream 1 is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia,” Podolyak said in a tweet, in English. “It is an act of aggression towards the European Union. Russia wants to destabilize the economic situation in Europe and cause panic before winter comes.”
He also called on European partners, notably Germany, to increase military support to Ukraine.
“The best response and security investment is to supply Ukraine with tanks, especially German tanks,” he said.
Other European leaders raised the idea that the damage to the pipelines was intentional.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki blamed the sabotage, saying it was likely linked to the war in Ukraine.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said it was too early to draw conclusions, but it was hard to imagine that the multiple leaks were purely coincidental.
At the same time, unconfirmed reports in German media said that the authorities did not rule out an attack on the undersea gas network.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was “extremely concerned” about the incident, and the possibility of a deliberate attack could not be ruled out.
The European Union had accused Russia, earlier, of resorting to reducing gas supplies to blackmail Europe.
However, Moscow denies the accusations, saying that the sanctions imposed on Russia make it impossible to properly maintain the gas infrastructure.
Whatever the causes of the damage, it will not immediately affect gas supplies to Europe due to the suspension of the activity of the two pipelines.
Nord Stream 1 has not carried any gas since August, when Russia shut it down for maintenance.
The pipeline runs 1,200 kilometers under the Baltic Sea from the Russian coast near St Petersburg to northeastern Germany. The Russian-owned twin pipeline, Nord Stream 2, was suspended after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Although Nord Stream 2 does not run, it does contain gas.
German, Danish and Swedish authorities are investigating the leaks.
The Danish Energy Authority told Archyde.com news agency that the leak could last several days, and may extend to a week.
The pipeline operator, Nord Stream AG, said it was impossible to estimate when system infrastructure would be restored.
Energy prices have risen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and falling supplies could drive up costs even more.
There are growing concerns that families in the European Union will not be able to afford heating next winter.
Poland is leading efforts to reduce dependence on Russia, once Europe’s main energy supplier, with the opening of a new gas pipeline.
The Baltic Pipeline represents a new connection for Norwegian gas to Europe, allowing countries in southern Poland, including Slovakia and the Czech Republic, to benefit from its supplies.