The European Union is threatening reprisal for any attack on Europe’s energy networks, a senior official warned on Wednesday as energy companies increased security. The European Union believes that damage to two underwater natural gas pipes was caused by sabotage.
The incident highlighted the fragility of Europe’s energy system and increased already high levels of tension on the continent as a result of the seven-month conflict in Ukraine. Russia, according to Poland and other experts, is undoubtedly at fault and stands to gain from continued market turbulence.
Before two strange leaks on two undersea natural gas pipelines traveling from Russia to Germany were detected on Tuesday, seismologists reported that explosions shook the Baltic Sea. The occurrences happened at a time when the EU is fighting to control skyrocketing gas and energy prices.
In a statement on behalf of the EU’s 27 members, Josep Borrell said: “All information available indicates that disclosures are the product of a planned act.” Any intentional interruption of the energy infrastructure in Europe is totally unacceptable and will be addressed with a forceful reaction from all European nations.
Given the energy standoff with Russia, some European officials and analysts suggested that sabotage might have occurred. The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which were full of natural gas but not sending the fuel to Europe, were the site of the three leaks that were recorded.
Gas can now be sent to Germany via pipelines without passing via Poland or Ukraine. The scope of the damage and the political fallout poses major concerns about the Nord Stream project’s viability. The U.S. and many of Germany’s European allies harshly condemned the project, claiming that it would simply make Europe more dependent on imported Russian gas.
Given the damage’s underwater position, it is still unclear who may be to blame, but according to Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, the leaks may be a component of Russia’s hybrid war against NATO.
Rau stated during a lecture at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington that the explosions “took place fairly close to Danish territorial seas, but not inside them because that would have meant NATO territory.”
“This may indicate that someone is attempting to intimidate the Baltic Sea nations. All of these nations, with the exception of Russia, are NATO members or are working toward membership, he said.
Allegations that Russia might be responsible for the accidents, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, are “predictable and dumb.” In a conference call, he informed reporters that the damage had cost Russia significant economic damages.
Anders Puck Nielsen, a researcher at the Center for Maritime Operations at the Royal Danish Defence College, said that it would be difficult to pinpoint the culprit and just as difficult to stop future occurrences, especially with attention shifting to Russia.
“Like the internet, we have communication cables and pipelines. Only power lines are present on the ocean floor. Though it is all incredibly susceptible, our civilizations are heavily reliant on it. And it’s quite challenging to keep track of what’s happening and stop sabotage,” he told reporters.
Although methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, is present in the gas, researchers claim it is not toxic.
According to media reports, the CIA informed Germany earlier this summer that the pipelines may be attacked. A spokeswoman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declined to comment on the accusations. Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesman for the company, told reporters, “But let me add that according to our research, there is no proof that there is a natural cause for the pressure drop in the pipelines.
Borrell stated that the EU will “improve our resilience in energy security” and assist any probe into the damage.
Governments and energy firms are already taking action. According to NRK, the national broadcaster, Equinor, the state-owned oil firm of Norway, announced that it has decided to increase Norway’s degree of preparedness. The warning was issued overnight and is relevant to every Equinor facility.
Despite not being an EU member, Norway is a significant offshore oil and gas producer. As European nations scurry to find alternatives to the Russian supply, its energy exports have increased.
Following reports of an increase in unauthorized drone flights, the Norwegian government opted to enhance security around its energy infrastructure, land facilities, and installations on the Norwegian continental shelf on Tuesday.
Morten Bdskov, the defense minister of Denmark, spoke with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg about the incidents in the meanwhile. The Danish defense ministry stated that it also thinks “that an intentional conduct caused the violations to occur.”
In a statement, Bdskov issued a warning: “There is cause for concern regarding the security situation in the Baltic Sea region. Russia has a sizable military presence in the Baltic Sea region despite its involvement in the conflict in Ukraine, and we anticipate that they will keep sounding their sabers.
