Europe rushed on Tuesday to investigate two inexplicable leaks in Russian gas pipelines that traverse the Baltic Sea not far from Sweden and Denmark. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, there has been an energy crisis that is centred on these pipelines.

Experts acknowledged that it was impossible to entirely rule out the risk of sabotage, and Russia, which constructed the network, agreed.

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The Swedish Maritime Authority issued a warning over two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline following the discovery of a leak on the neighbouring Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which prompted Denmark to impose a five nautical mile shipping restriction.

Both pipelines have been at the centre of a conflict over energy that is escalating between Moscow and European cities. This conflict has had a devastating impact on the greatest Western economies, increased gas prices, and sparked a hunt for alternative energy sources.

“There are some indications that it is deliberate damage,” a European security source said, adding that it was too soon to draw conclusions. “You have to wonder who would benefit.”

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Russia also expressed concern over the network leak and implied that sabotage might have been involved. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, no scenario can be ruled out at this time.

Even though neither pipeline was pumping gas to Europe at the time the leaks were detected, amid the debate over the war in Ukraine, any remaining expectations that Europe could acquire gas through Nord Stream 1 before winter will be shattered by the events.

“The simultaneous destruction of three strings of the Nord Stream system’s offshore gas pipelines on the same day is unprecedented,” network operator Nord Stream AG said. “It is not yet possible to predict when the gas transport infrastructure will be restored.”

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Both pipelines still carried pressured gas even though neither was in use.

A gas leak in Nord Stream 2 between Russia and Denmark was discovered on Monday, according to a written statement from Dan Jorgensen, the energy minister of Denmark.

The firm under the supervision of the Kremlin that has a monopoly on pipeline exports of Russian gas, Gazprom, declined to comment.

Russia reduced gas supplies to Europe via Nord Stream 1 before completely halting deliveries in August, attributing technical issues to Western sanctions. Politicians in Europe said that was an excuse to cease supplying gas.

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The brand-new Nord Stream 2 pipeline had not yet begun conducting business. Days before Russia moved soldiers into Ukraine in February, Germany decided against using it to provide gas. Although technical errors could have caused the leaks, sabotage was also a possibility.

The leaks occurred right before the Baltic Pipe, which will bring gas from Norway to Poland and is the centrepiece of Warsaw’s efforts to diversify its supply of gas away from Russia, was ceremoniously launched on Tuesday.

After spotting unidentifiable drones flying dangerously close to offshore oil and gas activities, the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) issued a warning to oil companies on Monday.

According to the Swedish Maritime Administration, Nord Stream 1 encountered two leaks, one in the Swedish economic zone and the other in the Danish zone, both of which were located northeast of the Danish island of Bornholm (SMA).

Outside of the exclusion zone, according to the Danish energy agency, there are no security issues associated to the leak. However, accessing the area could cause vessels to lose buoyancy and there is a possibility that the leaking gas will catch fire over the sea and in the air.

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According to the report, the release of the greenhouse gas methane would have a detrimental impact on the climate, but the ecosystem would only be locally impacted—specifically, the area where the gas plume in the water column is located.

The Danish government recommended that Denmark’s level of preparation for the power and gas sectors be strengthened as a result of the leaks, which required more strict safety standards.