Copenhagen police said in a statement that a preliminary investigation into damage to two Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Danish part of the Baltic Sea showed the leaks were caused by “massive explosions”.
Authorities added that further investigations on September 26 into the disruption of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in Denmark’s exclusive economic zone will be carried out jointly by the Copenhagen police and the Danish security and intelligence services.
The Danish findings appear to be similar to findings by Swedish prosecutors who concluded that two other holes in the pipeline appeared to be the result of an explosion and the matter was being investigated as an act of serious sabotage. .
Swedish newspaper Expressen said on Tuesday that a section of at least 50 meters (164 feet) of the ruptured Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea was missing.
Authorities in Sweden and Denmark are investigating four leaks in pipelines connecting Russia to Germany
The Baltic Sea has become the focus of the crisis in Ukraine.
Expressen’s video, recorded with a small RC vehicle or underwater drone, showed twisted metal and a wide-open pipeline in the murky waters of the Baltic Sea floor.
Some parts of the pipeline appeared to have straight, sharp edges, while others were distorted and recorded footage was approximately 80 meters (262 ft) deep.
Onshore facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline in Lubmen, Germany
Expressen said the video was shot on Monday.
Danish police were unable to say when the investigation would end.
“It is still too early to say anything about the framework in which international cooperation with Sweden and Germany will work because it depends on several factors,” Copenhagen police said.
Photos and videos showed the bubbles floating on the surface of seawater after spills last month.
World leaders described the damage as an act of sabotage and Moscow sought to blame the West by suggesting the United States would benefit. Washington has denied any involvement.
