Defense Minister on the gas leak in the Baltic Sea: There is cause for concern, the explosions are deliberate and calculated, and Russia is "rattling its swords".“
Danish Defense Minister Morten Bodskov has just met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels. The Defense Minister stated that the three explosions that caused the gas leak in the Baltic Sea off the Danish island of Bornholm “were not accidental and were planned. These are very large explosions.” Bodskov added, “There is cause for concern regarding the security situation in the Baltic Sea region. Despite the military efforts in Ukraine, Russia maintains a significant military presence in the Baltic Sea region, and we expect them to continue their saber-rattling.“ The Defense Minister also stated in a press release that the Danish Defense Ministry is closely monitoring Russian activities.
According to TV2, the CIA warned several European countries, including Germany, last June of possible attacks on gas supply lines. Danish Defense Minister Morten Bodskov commented that neither the Ministry of Defense nor the government had been notified in advance of leaks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 supply lines.
Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod: Denmark will not talk to Russia
Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod explained to the Danish news agency Ritzau that he does not intend to make contact with the Russians, and that no one wants to talk to the Russians, adding: “We certainly do not (will not talk to the Russians). Russia is a country that started an illegal war of aggression in Ukraine and is threatening the security of all of Europe. We informed Russia in a memorandum about what we found to be a deliberate act, but we have no desire to talk to Russia. We want to get to the bottom of this, and we are doing that with our allies.”.
Experts: The gas leak was a symbolic and perfectly calculated act, and Denmark's energy infrastructure is exposed.
Trine Villumsen Birling, a researcher in European energy and security policy at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), told TV2 that she was fully aware that Russia had not struck Danish territory but the immediate vicinity: “The fact that it occurred outside Danish territory is a symbolic and very deliberate act, and this means that Denmark must take a stand with its allies, but it cannot consider this a direct attack on Denmark,” given that the three explosions occurred in territorial waters close to the Danish border of Bornholm Island, about 20 kilometers away.
According to Philip Alexander Ostrovich, coordinator of the CBS Copenhagen Energy Infrastructure Project, Denmark's energy infrastructure is exposed, and he warned that Denmark should be more vigilant about its energy infrastructure and take a closer look at how it is protected, especially its central parts.
The gas leak from the supply lines between Russia and Germany across the sea prompted the Danish Energy Agency on Tuesday to ask the company responsible for the overall operation of the Danish electricity and gas system to raise the alert level to orange, which is the second highest level on a five-level scale. This means that companies in the sector must be aware of and understand the security around their facilities.
A security advisor in the United States: The United States supports the investigation into the gas leak.
The United States supports the investigation into the gas leak in the Baltic Sea, according to a tweet by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who also stated that the United States will continue to protect Europe's energy security and described the incident as "sabotage".
Swedish police open investigation into gas leak
Swedish police have opened an investigation into a gas leak in the Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic Sea and the case has been sent to the Swedish Public Prosecution Service, which will decide what to do.
Following the developments since the announcement of the gas leak that occurred on Tuesday morning, in the following images.
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