Damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines were caused by “powerful explosions”, a preliminary investigation by Danish investigators has found.
Unusual leaks were reported by the two underwater natural gas pipelines running 1,230km (764 miles) from Russia via the Baltic Sea to Germany on 23 September.
The Danish findings appeared to be similar to those of Swedish prosecutors, who said two other holes in the pipelines also seemed to have been caused by explosions and that the case was being investigated as an act of gross sabotage.
Swedish and Danish authorities have been investigating four leaks in the pipelines which have become a flashpoint in the Ukraine crisis.
Copenhagen police could not say when the investigation is expected to be concluded, but said they will handle further investigations into the ruptures with Denmark’s Security and Intelligence Service.
“It is still too early to say anything about the framework under which the international cooperation with e.g. Sweden and Germany will run, as it depends on several factors,” Copenhagen Police said.
A section measuring at least 50 metres (164 feet) is missing from the ruptured Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, Swedish daily Expressen reported on Tuesday after filming what it said were the first publicly released images of the damage.
Seismologists in Denmark have previously said they had registered tremors in the vicinity of the leaks measuring as much as 2.3 on the Richter scale and that the signals did not resemble those from earthquakes.
World leaders have called the damages an act of sabotage and Moscow has sought to pin the blame on the West, suggesting the United States stood to gain. Washington has denied any involvement.
However, Moscow has also repeatedly denied any culpability and insists that the blame is being unfairly but conveniently placed on Russia. This sentiment has only been strengthened by Russia’s exclusion from the investigation.
On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the investigation was being conducted “secretively” and without Moscow’s involvement, adding that “elementary logic” showed the pipeline damage was a blow to Russia’s interests.
