EU to prepare response to Nord Stream leaks after investigation

BRUSSELS, September 29 — PRIME. The European Union will decide on its actions in response to the emergency on the Nord Stream lines after the results of the investigation, European Commission representative Dana Spinant said at a briefing in Brussels.

“First, we need to find out what happened, what caused the incidents and who is responsible… This will give us the elements that we will take into account in order to decide how we can protect our infrastructure so that such incidents do not happen in the future… We must wait for the results Until then, we cannot speak on specific measures that will affect our infrastructure,” she said.

The EC representative added that, pending the outcome of the investigation, the EU is testing its energy infrastructure.

Incidents at once on two Russian export gas pipelines to Europe occurred on September 26. According to the Danish and Swedish authorities, two gas leaks were discovered at Nord Stream and one at Nord Stream 2 near Bornholm Island. Germany, Denmark and Sweden do not rule out targeted sabotage.

Russia made an official request for information from Denmark on this state of emergency as soon as the incident became known. The Danish authorities notified the Russian Federation about the explosions at the site of the gas leak. The operator of Nord Stream, Nord Stream AG, reported that the state of emergency on gas pipelines was unprecedented, and it was impossible to estimate the timing of repairs.

The work of Nord Stream has been suspended since the end of August due to problems with the repair of Siemens turbines caused by Western sanctions. However, the pipeline remained filled with gas. Nord Stream 2, completed in 2021 but never put into operation, has also already been filled with gas.