Nicolas Tonev 12:13 p.m., September 29, 2022
After the discovery of several leaks, most likely intentional, in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, Norway announces that it is strengthening the monitoring of its gas infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
The country, a major gas supplier for Europe, fears it too will be affected by sabotage.
Who blames Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2?
The two gas pipelines passing under the Baltic Sea were affected by no less than four leaks.
A substantial figure which can only be the work of sabotage.
While Russia and the United States accuse each other, the region's other oil and gas giant, Norway, worries about its facilities.
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Faced with this situation, the country announces that it will strengthen the monitoring of its pipelines, for several reasons.
For a senior Norwegian officer, the country's gas supplies are probably the biggest and most strategically important target for sabotage across Europe.
Infrastructures spied on
Currently, Norway has dozens of oil and gas extraction platforms and hundreds of kilometers of oil and gas pipelines exposed in the open sea.
One of them, moreover, measuring more than 800 km, goes to Dunkirk to supply France directly.
The second reason fueling Norwegian concern since the beginning of the month is that drones of different sizes regularly come to observe offshore installations.
Several police investigations are already underway to determine the origin of the machines and the nationality of the pilots.
Russia suspected
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has announced that the military will begin more active monitoring of what is happening at sea, in the air, on land, under water and on the internet.
In the crosshairs of this concern, indirectly designated as the only potential threat, Russia and its submarine means capable of reaching the gas pipelines in the region, often laid in the great depths of the Baltic Sea.