Swedish Coast Guard Detected Fourth Nord Stream Gas Leak on Tuesday, Reports Say

The scope of destruction registered simultaneously on both strings of the Nord Stream offshore gas pipeline in the Baltic has been dubbed “unprecedented” by the operator. Subsequently, senior government officials in several countries spoke of likely sabotage.

A fourth leak has been found on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, according to the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet.

The leak in question is located on Nord Stream 2 in the vicinity of those known before.

"Two of these four leaks are located in the Swedish economic zone. There has been a larger gas release of approximately 900 meters in diameter and a smaller one of approximately 200 meters in diameter," Jenny Larsson of the Coast Guard's command center told the newspaper.

Known Since Tuesday

Admittedly, the Coast Guard has been aware of the four leaks since Tuesday and cannot say why the information didn't get out until now. Most recently on Wednesday evening, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson spoke about "three gas leaks" on Nord Stream 1 and 2.

"We found out about the little one and the big one simultaneously," Jenny Larsson told Svenska Dagbladet.

An informed source with links to the Coast Guard confirmed this picture to national broadcaster SVT.

"It's not like something was discovered recently. I think there has been a conceptual confusion about positions and where the respective leak is located," the source said.

Three gas leaks on Nord Stream 1 and 2 were reported earlier this week. One took place on Nord Stream 2 in the Danish economic zone southeast of Bornholm, and two on Nord Stream 1, near the city of Simrishamn.

Recorded Explosions

Sweden's National Seismology Centre (SNSN) at Uppsala University said it recorded two explosions at the pipelines on Monday, with one of them being equivalent to 100 kilograms of dynamite.

According to the newspaper Aftonbladet, Uppsala University seismologist Björn Lund is now investigating whether a third detonation may have occurred. According to Lund, recorded wave movements diverge in a way that could indicate another detonation about ten seconds after the second one — and a few kilometers from there.

The Swedish Maritime Administration hasn't issued any new navigation warnings after the discovery of the fourth leak.

"It is not needed because it is located between the two leaks that are covered by the existing warning in the same area," Maria Boman of the Maritime and Air Rescue Center said in a statement.

Possible Sabotage

The 1,224-kilometer Nord Stream stretching from Russia's Vyborg, Russia to Lubmin, Germany has been one of the main gas supply routes to Europe with a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters a year. However, the pipeline, which remains filled with gas, has been suspended since the end of August due to issues with the repair of turbines caused by sanctions slapped on Russia by the West in response to its ongoing special military operation in Ukraine. Nord Stream 2 was never turned on, but was filled with gas.

Officials in Denmark, Poland, Sweden and other countries ventured that the damage to the pipelines came as a result of sabotage. As a result of this assessment, Norway tightened preparedness on its continental shelf.

On Wednesday, Russia requested a meeting of the UN Security Council on the pipeline incidents and the meeting will be held on Friday afternoon.

The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has initiated a case on an act of international terrorism after the damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines.