Denmark to Retrieve Mysterious Object Found at Nord Stream Site
Danish authorities have posted a photo of a mysterious object directly next to the Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic Sea. According to a notice posted by the Danish Energy Agency, the object is about 15 inches tall and just under 4 inches in diameter. It is possible that the object is a maritime smoke buoy," the press release stated, adding that Denmark would recover the object.
Relevant Danish authorities have examined the object that has been observed by the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea. It remains the assessment that the object does not pose an immediate safety risk," the agency said in a statement. With a view to further clarifying the nature of the object, Danish authorities have decided to salvage the object with assistance from the Danish Defence. The Danish Energy Agency has in that context invited the owner of the pipeline, Nord Stream 2 AG, to participate in the operation."
The Nord Stream pipelines were a pair of gas pipes connecting Russia to Europe. Russia's state-owned Gazprom gas company is the majority owner of the pipelines. On September 26, 2022 both pipes started spewing gas into the Baltic Sea. Sabotage is suspected and likely but who blew the pipelines is less clear.
Earlier this month, Putin told journalists that a Gazprom ship had found an object 19 miles from the explosion site. "Experts believe that this could be an antenna to receive a signal to detonate an explosive device," he said.
Russia has implied that the United States carried on the attack with the goal of cutting off Russian gas supplies to Europe. Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has reported that President Biden ordered the destruction of the pipeline, although the story is unconfirmed and was flatly denied by the White House. U.S. intelligence sources have claimed that the attackers were likely Ukrainian nationalists working independently of Kyiv. Sweden, Denmark and Germany are conducting an investigation into the pipeline and cautioned against believing either the U.S. or Russia until it has finished.
Denmark said it would wait to hear from the Nord Stream energy company before it pulled the strange cylinder from the seabed.