BERLIN, Sep 29 – PRIME. German security authorities suspect that the strings of Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 were damaged by massive explosive devices, the German magazine Spiegel reported, citing its sources.
“German security authorities are confident that highly effective explosive devices were required to undermine the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea,” the newspaper notes.
According to the calculations of the magazine’s sources, explosive devices should have been used to damage the gas pipeline, the effect of which is comparable to the effect of 500 kilograms of TNT. It is clarified that for such an assessment, seismic signals recorded by various measuring stations were also taken into account.
In this regard, it is again suggested that only a state entity can stand behind the action.
Sources say that divers or a remote-controlled robot can inspect the damage to the gas pipeline as early as this coming weekend. This may allow the first conclusions to be drawn about the type of explosion under water and the explosives used.
Restoring the pipeline is now considered highly unlikely, sources said. Due to the fact that the damaged pipes are currently flooded with sea water, the special internal coating corrodes very quickly, as a result, after the flooding, the pipeline can no longer be used to transport gas, the publication added.
Earlier, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told reporters that Germany does not assess the incident around the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines until the results of the investigation into the incident appear.