On September 26, 2022, seismologists in Denmark and Sweden recorded underwater seismic activity in the Baltic Sea between 2.1 and 2.3 on the Richter scale, equivalent to an explosion of several hundred pounds of TNT. After investigations, authorities in both countries determined that there had been apparent efforts to sabotage the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. Both lines of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and one line of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, yet to be commissioned, were impacted.
Repairs to the damaged pipelines will not be easy. The steel pipelines are about 1.6 inches thick and covered with about 4.3 inches of concrete in order to maintain stability on the seabed. They lie in waters ranging from 165 to 328 feet in depth, and the pressure of the depths would require saturation diving. Divers could stay only around ten hours at that depth and would require around 30 days in a hyperbaric chamber to combat decompression sickness. While the repairs to the pipelines would require an extensive period of time to effect and substantial expense, the efforts to sabotage them would require minimal time and expense, and a relatively low level of technological expertise.
The question remains: who done it?
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