Nord Stream Pipeline Reportedly Left 'Forever Useless' After Alleged Sabotage

Russia signaled its readiness to consider requests from EU countries for a joint investigation on Wednesday into recent incidents on the Nord Stream pipeline in the Barents Sea, where a gas leak from the network’s damaged strings show no sign of abating.

German security officials believe that the three strings of the Nord Stream gas pipeline “will be forever useless” after alleged acts of sabotage, the Der Tagesspiegel newspaper has cited unnamed sources as saying.

Insiders explained that if the damaged legs are not repaired quickly, salt water could penetrate the pipes and corrode them irreversibly.

The claims follow Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko telling reporters on Wednesday that Moscow is ready to consider requests from EU countries for a joint investigation into the recent incidents on Nord Stream.

"If there are any appeals, we will consider them. As far as I know, there have not been any yet," Grushko said, when asked about Russia's possible cooperation with EU member states in investigating incidents on the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

The remarks come after EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on Wednesday that “the European Union is deeply concerned about damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines."

“Safety and environmental concerns are of utmost priority. These incidents are not a coincidence and affect us all. All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act,” Borrell noted, adding that the EU will support any investigation into the Nord Stream incidents and will take further steps to improve its energy security.

On Monday, the Nord Stream AG operator told Sputnik that a landfall dispatcher had registered a rapid gas pressure drop on line A of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in an incident that occurred in Danish waters near the island of Bornholm.

Later that day, the operator also reported a pressure drop on both strings of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, saying that the incident was already under investigation. The company admitted that the volume of destruction is "unprecedented" and that it is unclear how much time repair work will take.

The work of the pipeline, which remains filled with gas, has been suspended since the end of August due to problems repairing turbines caused by western sanctions slapped on Russia in response to its ongoing special military operation in Ukraine.

Touted as the main gas supply route to Europe, the 1,224-kilometre (760 miles) Nord Stream is designed to deliver blue fuel from Russia to Germany, with the capacity standing at 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year.