Nord Stream 2 pipeline stops leaking into Baltic Sea after days of concern

the pipeline Nord Stream 2 no longer records leakage into the Baltic Sea, spokesman Ulrich Lissek said. “The pressure of the water more or less closed the pipeline, so the gas that is inside cannot come out,” he said on Saturday, 1. Lissek said it was not possible to assess the amount of gas in the pipeline. “This is the million dollar question,” he said. Information on the considerably larger Nord Stream 1 pipeline leak is not yet available. The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which connect Russia with Germany, have been at the center of geopolitical tensions since Moscow cut off gas supplies to Europe, in an alleged reprisal for sanctions adopted by Western powers after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Although the pipelines are not operational at the moment, both contained gas before an apparent act of sabotage caused four leaks. A report published on Friday by Denmark and Sweden concluded that the leaks were caused by underwater explosions corresponding to hundreds of kilograms of explosives.

It is not known what caused the leak, however, Russia and Ukraine exchange accusations. Moscow said it did not rule out “any possibility”, including sabotage, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said it was “hard to imagine it being an accident”, adding that an act of sabotage could not be ruled out. Ukraine blames the leaks as a “terrorist attack” planned by Moscow against the European Union. “The large-scale gas leak on Nord Stream 1 is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression against the EU,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhailo Podoliak said on Twitter. Podoliak accused Russia of trying to “destabilize the economic situation in Europe and cause panic before winter”.

*With information from AFP