Nord Stream Turbine Already on Its Way to Germany, Reports Say

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Canada shipped the repaired Nord Stream-1 turbine, which had remained stranded in Montreal because of Russia-related sanctions, to Germany on Sunday, July 17, and it should arrive in Russia by July 24, the Russian Kommersant newspaper reports citing sources familiar with the situation.

The Siemens Energy turbine is being shipped to Germany by plane, not by sea, as earlier planned, the newspaper said. It should take about five to seven days for the turbine to be transported from Germany to Russia, via Helsinki.

The newspaper said that the turbine is expected to arrive in Russia on July 24.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said over the weekend that he discussed the turbine issue with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying that Ottawa’s decision was a violation of the sanctions regime and will never be accepted by the Ukrainian people.

Earlier this month, the Ukrainian foreign ministry summoned the Canadian charge d'affaires in Ukraine over Ottawa's decision to return the Nord Stream-1 turbine and called on the Canadian government to review the move.

Picture taken on May 9,2022 shows equipment operated by GCA (Gas Connect Austria) and TAG (Trans Austria Gas pipelines) at one of the largest interconnection gas hubs in Europe at Baumgarten an der March, Lower Austria

© AFP 2023 / JOE KLAMAR

In early June, it was announced that the turbine sent by Siemens to its factory in Montreal, on behalf of Russia’s Gazprom, for maintenance, was unable to make it back to Russia because of sanctions imposed by the West over the conflict in Ukraine. Active negotiations on the issue were held between Ottawa and Berlin.

During the entire process, Canada met fierce resistance from the Canadian Ukrainian lobby and Ukraine’s government itself, which pressured Ottawa not to send the turbine back to Gazprom as it would violate sanctions.

Last Sunday, Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson said that Ottawa had decided to return the Nord Stream 1 turbine to Germany to help Europe have access to "reliable and affordable energy."

The Bild newspaper reported on Monday that the German government believes that Russia does not plan to fully resume gas supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline after all the repairs are completed.