logo
menu

Extent of damage to Nord Stream pipeline revealed

news item image
An investigation into the explosion along the Nord Stream pipeline revealed damage along a 50 metre stretch (164 ft).
The underwater pipeline that brings Russian gas to Germany is thought to have been destroyed by a blast last month.

New Video footage appears to show the massive tear in the Nord Stream I pipe, the BBC has reported.

Danish police believe "powerful explosions" blew four holes in the pipe and its newer twin, Nord Stream II.

It is still unknown who or what caused the blasts amid suspicions of sabotage.

Gas deliveries have been suspended since the 26 September explosions on the pipes crossing the Baltic Sea.

The Kremlin has accused Western investigators of seeking to blame Russia for the damage.

Western leaders have stopped short of directly accusing Russia, but the EU has previously accused Russia of using its gas supplies as a weapon against the West over its support for Ukraine.

Blueye Robotics used a submersible drone to film the twisted and bent metal of the Nord Stream pipe 80 m beneath the surface of the sea.

Parts of the pipeline are either missing or buried in the seabed, the company said.

"It is only an extreme force that can bend metal that thick in the way we are seeing," drone operator Trond Larsen said.

Danish police findings appear to confirm those of Swedish authorities who have also been investigating the leaks in the pipelines.

The Nord Stream I pipeline has not transported any gas since August when Russia closed it down, saying it needed maintenance.

It stretches 1,200km (745 miles) from the Russian coast near St Petersburg to north-eastern Germany.

Nord Stream II was still awaiting clearance for use when Russia invaded Ukraine in February.






147 queries in 0.451 seconds.