Nord Stream leaks: Kremlin, “extremely concerned”, does not rule out sabotage

The Kremlin said on Tuesday it was “extremely concerned” by the discovery of leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, ruling out the “no” hypothesis, including sabotage.

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“We are very concerned about this news,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, calling the available information “very alarming.”

“In fact, the pressure in the gas pipelines has dropped significantly,” he said. Asked about the possibility of sabotage, he replied: “No option can be ruled out”.

“It is clear that there is some kind of breakdown (…), but it is impossible to exclude anything before the results are available”, Mr. Peskov continued, stressing that the performance of Nord Stream 1 is “a matter of energy”. Security of the whole (European) continent.

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines built to transport Russian gas to Europe have been affected by unexplained leaks in the Baltic Sea, Danish and Swedish authorities have revealed.

The two gas pipelines, operated by a consortium based on Russian giant Gazprom, have been at the center of tensions between Moscow and Europe in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine.

Deliveries through Nord Stream 1, a gas pipeline that supplies Germany and other European countries, have been officially suspended for technical reasons. Nord Stream 2 did not deliver gas due to lack of permit.

But both tubes are still full of gas, which explains the leaks.