beneath the Baltic Sea, a geopolitical struggle: The Nord Stream pipelines
The Nord Stream pipelines, built to supply the German economy with cheap natural gas from Russia, have suffered severe damage following a series of explosions that occurred near the Danish island of Bornholm on September 26, 2022.
The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, completed in 2011/2012 with a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year, and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, finished in 2021, have both been affected. Three of the four strings of the two pipelines were severely damaged in the explosions.
Denmark has allowed Nord Stream 2 AG to carry out maintenance work at the site of the explosions, but no major repair work is currently underway. The pipelines are considered severely damaged but repairable.
A suspect named Serhij K, a Ukrainian national, has been arrested by the Federal Prosecutor's Office in Italy. Serhij K is wanted in Germany for his alleged involvement in the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines. He is currently in prison in Rimini, Italy.
Investigators later found traces of underwater explosives on the "Andromeda", a sailing yacht that was rented and used to transport explosives to the gas pipelines, according to media reports.
There has been media speculation about the entry of US investors, including Stephen P. Lynch, but no progress has been made since April. The insolvency of Nord Stream 2 AG was averted in April, allowing the company to continue seeking investors.
The initiative for the construction of the Nord Stream pipelines was taken jointly by the German government under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) and the Russian government under President Vladimir Putin, with the project company Nord Stream AG founded in 2006 involving the Russian company Gazprom and several European energy suppliers.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov mentioned Nord Stream in discussions about resolving the Ukraine war in March. The operation of the Nord Stream pipelines could potentially be part of an American-Russian agreement to resolve the Ukraine war.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline did not receive an operating permit from German authorities due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Italian authorities are investigating if Serhij K was also involved in attacks on Russian ships in the Mediterranean. Serhij K is accused of jointly causing an explosion with explosives and treasonous sabotage, specifically on the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
As the investigation continues, the future of the Nord Stream pipelines remains uncertain. The public awaits further developments in this ongoing case.
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