Watch: Dramatic footage of Nord Stream leak as EU warns sabotage will not be tolerated and Moscow denies involvement

28 September 2022, 15:59

Footage of the Nord Stream leak has been published showing the extent of a gas leak amid accusations of sabotage.

Two key gas pipelines from Russia to Europe have leaked with suspicions raised that the Kremlin was behind an attack on them.

The European Union's president Ursula von der Leyen has made allegations of sabotage but did not name Moscow as the perpetrator, while Ukraine has again branded Russia a "terrorist state".

An investigation will not be able to begin for about a week.

Read more: Fears of sabotage after Russia's Nord Stream gas pipeline hit by three 'unprecedented' explosions

Water bubbles off coast of Sweden over Nord Stream gas leak

Dmitry Peskov, the Russian government spokesman, said any claim of sabotage was "predictable, stupid and absurd".

Footage shot by the militaries of Sweden and Denmark shows the effect of gas reaching the surface of the water, creating a large white circle of frothing water.

Nord Stream 2 operators found a loss of pressure on Monday while the Nord Stream, 1 operator found "unprecedented damage". The pipeline runs from St Petersburg to north east Germany via the Baltic.

But the US has said it does not expect the leak to harm European energy security, with Nord Stream 1 having been closed by Russia since August and Nord Stream 2, a controversial project even before the invasion, stopped after Putin launched his war.

Ms von der Leyen said she had spoken to Denmark's prime minister Mette Frederiksen about the "sabotage" and added: "Paramount to now investigate the incidents, get full clarity on events & why.

"Any deliberate disruption of active European energy infrastructure is unacceptable & will lead to the strongest possible response."

The Danish government said the leak should last for a week, and stop when the gas in the pipeline is all out.

It has also been reported that the Central Intelligence Agency warned Germany weeks ago that an attack on gas pipelines was a possibility.

Spiegel reported two anonymous sources as saying they were warned in the summer, but a German government spokesperson would not comment on the claim.