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☆ Nord Stream gas 'sabotage': who's being blamed and why?
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-30 | by ( Joanna Plucinska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's foreign ministry said on Thursday it was "unthinkable" that an investigation into ruptures on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines would proceed without Moscow's participation. President Vladimir Putin said on Friday the United States and its allies blew up Nord Stream. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday damage to Nord Stream was a deliberate act of sabotage. Map of Nord Stream pipelines and locations of reported leaksWHY SABOTAGE A PIPELINE? "They already succeeded in stopping Nord Stream 2.

A gas leak from Nord stream 1 is seen in the Swedish economic zone in the Baltic Sea in this picture taken from the Swedish Coast Guard aircraft on September 28, 2022. The European Union is investigating the cause of the leaks in the Gazprom-led (GAZP.MM) Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines under the Baltic Sea and has said it suspects sabotage. "The attack on strategic infrastructure means that the strategic infrastructure in the entire EU has to be protected," the EU official in Brussels said. Russia had halted deliveries via Nord Stream 1, saying Western sanctions had hampered operations. Nord Stream 2 had not started commercial operations.

☆ The Nord Stream pipelines were likely attacked with remotely detonated explosives, says UK defense source: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A UK defense source says the Nord Stream pipelines were likely attacked with remote explosives. The source told Sky News the bombs could have been planted years before the leaks occurred. One of the intelligence officials told CNN that Russian submarines were also seen near the area last week. The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipeline systems deliver natural gas from Russia to Europe. However, analysts said that the explosions at the Nord Stream pipelines could signal an escalation to hybrid warfare, with Russia weaponizing energy to choke off Europe and escalate the continent's energy crisis.

A senior Ukrainian official called the incident a Russian attack to destabilise Europe, without giving proof. Neither pipeline was pumping gas to Europe at the time the leaks were found, but the incidents will scupper any remaining expectations that Europe could receive fuel via Nord Stream 1 before winter. Operator Nord Stream said the damage was "unprecedented". CUTTING SUPPLIESRussia reduced gas supplies to Europe via Nord Stream 1 before suspending flows altogether in August, blaming Western sanctions for causing technical difficulties. The new Nord Stream 2 pipeline had yet to enter commercial operations.

But it remained far from clear who might be behind any foul play, if proven, on the Nord Stream pipelines that Russia and European partners spent billions of dollars building. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterPoland's prime minister blamed sabotage for the leaks, without citing evidence. Russia, which slashed gas deliveries to Europe after the West imposed sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, also said sabotage was a possibility and that the leaks undermined the continent's energy security. CUTTING SUPPLIESRussia reduced gas supplies to Europe via Nord Stream 1 before suspending flows altogether in August, blaming Western sanctions for causing technical difficulties. The Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) said two leaks on Nord Stream 1, one in the Swedish economic zone and another in the Danish zone, were northeast of Denmark's Bornholm.

However, it remained far from clear who might be behind any foul play, if proven, on the Nord Stream pipelines that Russia and European partners spent billions of dollars building. Poland's prime minister blamed sabotage for the leaks, without citing evidence, while the Danish premier said it could not be ruled out. Operator Nord Stream said the damage was "unprecedented". CUTTING SUPPLIESRussia reduced gas supplies to Europe via Nord Stream 1 before suspending flows altogether in August, blaming Western sanctions for causing technical difficulties. The new Nord Stream 2 pipeline had yet to enter commercial operations.

"The destruction that occurred on the same day simultaneously on three strings of the offshore gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system is unprecedented," said network operator Nord Stream AG. Gazprom (GAZP.MM), the Kremlin-controlled company with a monopoly on Russian gas exports by pipeline, declined to comment. Danish Defence Command/Handout via REUTERS Read MoreRussia slashed gas supplies to Europe via Nord Stream 1 before suspending flows altogether in August, blaming Western sanctions for causing technical difficulties. The new Nord Stream 2 pipeline had yet to enter commercial operations. European gas prices rose on the news of the leaks, with the benchmark October Dutch price up almost 10% on Tuesday.

☆ Nord Stream: Mystery leaks hit Russian gas pipelines to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Sweden’s Maritime Authority issued a warning about two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 pipeline was discovered that had prompted Denmark to restrict shipping in a five nautical mile radius. “The destruction that occurred on the same day simultaneously on three strings of the offshore gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system is unprecedented,” said network operator Nord Stream AG. Gazprom, the Kremlin-controlled company with a monopoly on Russian gas exports by pipeline, declined comment. Russia slashed gas supplies to Europe via Nord Stream 1 before suspending flows altogether in August, blaming Western sanctions for causing technical difficulties. The new Nord Stream 2 pipeline had yet to enter commercial operations.

☆ Moscow could be pushed toward 'nuclear escalation' if the US overreacts to Russia's disastrous invasion of Ukraine, new report warns
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US should not overreact to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a new Costs of War Project report warns. The report underscores that the war has shown Russia's military is much weaker than previously thought. The report states that the "greatest threat of nuclear war could lie in the West's overreaction to Russia's aggression." "Rather, cognizant of Russia's conventional military weakness, the US military budget can instead be trimmed," it adds. He said the Russian military is "not nearly as powerful as we thought it was."

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