It could take up to two weeks before the unexplained gas leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea can be inspected, the Danish defence minister said Wednesday.
Due to the pressure inside the pipes and the amount of gas leaking “the reality is that it can easily take one or two weeks for the area to calm down enough to actually see what has happened,” Defence Minister Morten Bodskov told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with NATO’s secretary general in Brussels.
“It is a very large blast that has taken place, therefore it will take time before we can get down there”, the minister said.
The pipes are at a depth of 80 metres (262 feet).
On Tuesday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said authorities considered the leaks, which emerged on Monday, to be the result of “deliberate acts”.
“We are not talking about an accident”, she said.
The European Union has promised “a robust and united response,” to the “sabotage”.
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines have been at the centre of geopolitical tensions in recent months as Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in suspected retaliation against Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.
While the pipelines — operated by a consortium majority-owned by Russian gas giant Gazprom — are not currently in operation, they both still contain gas.
According to Danish authorities, the leaks will continue until the gas in the pipelines is exhausted, which should take “at least a week”.
