At noon on Monday, September 24, a sudden drop in pressure was detected in Nord Stream, which transports gas from Russia to Europe. In the following days, the lines could be confirmed damaged, suspected vandalism, and significant gas leaks.
In the past week, bubbles have stopped on the surface, causing the gas to stop leaking. Expressen then went to investigate the site and took the first public photos of the damaged wires, which lie at a depth of 80 metres, with the help of a drone.
The photos show cloudy water and the twisted remains of a thick steel tube. The newspaper states that the rebar has been bent out of the concrete protective tube housing and that large holes can be seen in the tube directly.
Some parts of the tube have straight sharp edges, while in other parts the metal is badly deformed. The newspaper reported that it appears that at least 50 meters of the gas line is missing.
“Formidable force that can bend such thick metal”
The explosion that destroyed the tube was so powerful that it was recorded by seismographs – it was equivalent to a small earthquake measuring 2.3 on the Richter scale.
– You can see that there was a very big impact on the sea floor around the tube. Drone pilot Trond Larsen of Norway’s Blueye Robotics, who helped take the photos, says there are grooves at the bottom of the lake where the tubes used to be, where you can see broken things that look like bits of tubes.
It is a tremendous force that can bend such a thick metal the way we see it.
An investigation into suspected damage and vandalism on Nord Stream is currently underway by the Swedish, Danish and German sides. But who is behind the injuries remains unclear.
Russia was soon blamed for the sabotage, which in turn was blamed on the United States.
Read also: Swedish robot used for Russian propaganda about Nord Stream
Read also: So Sweden and Russia can be forced to cooperate in the investigation of the gas leak
Read also: Bornholm residents about fears after suspected vandalism
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