The Danish Energy Agency has invited Nord Stream 2 AG, the operator of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, to participate in the removal of an unidentified object located nearby. The agency plans to upgrade the object with support from the Danish Ministry of Defense. Message from the DEA.
Preliminary information from the Danish Ministry of Defense indicates the object has a cylindrical shape. Its height is about 40 cm and its diameter about 10 cm. Experts suggest it could be a marine smoke buoy used by ships to signal distress around the clock. Officials note that the object does not pose an immediate security threat.
To clarify the nature of the object, Danish authorities have decided to remove it with assistance from the Danish Ministry of Defense. In this context, the Danish Energy Agency has asked the owner of Nord Stream 2 AG to take part in the operation.
Nord Stream AG has not yet responded to the invitation to participate.
Object under water for a long time
Reports of an unknown object near the pipeline emerged about two weeks ago. The Danish daily Jyllands-Posten reported on March 10 that the deputy director of the DEA contacted Flemming Larsen, chief executive of Geus, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, which monitors seismic activity.
According to the newspaper, the deputy director told Larsen that an object had been discovered near the Nord Stream pipelines near Bornholm, a note cited by Larsen said.
The DEA vice president stated that the object could not be detected. Simultaneously, no objects were found near the pipeline in video footage recorded in 2019. The newspaper notes that it is not yet possible to determine exactly when the object appeared and that information is limited about this most recent find in a single intact pipe.
“It does not appear to have been placed recently. The artifact shows signs of overgrowth, indicating it has been at sea for some time,” commented the agency official.
Jyllands-Posten contacted Military Academy analyst Kenneth Helenschläger Buhl for input. He acknowledged that if the object is overgrown, it could indicate a long stay at sea.
“This supports the view that it is not a recent placement by any party,” he said. “On the other hand, concealment today remains possible, so certainty is elusive.”
He also noted the small size of the object. The expert pointed out that the damage scale seen on other gas pipeline sections suggests hundreds of kilograms of explosives might have been used. Such damage would not stem from a small object measuring about 30 by 15 cm. The expert also questioned the idea that the object is an antenna emitting radio waves.
“Radio waves do not travel well underwater. It could be a sound antenna that transmits acoustic signals, but its purpose in this case is unclear,” he remarked.
The analyst suggested the object could be a one way device intended to trigger a sea mine, though in that scenario only a small hole would be created in the natural gas pipeline.
Russia wants to examine the device
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed an unidentified object near Nord Stream in mid March. He stated that Gazprom had received permission from Danish authorities to inspect the explosion site and was also exploring other areas near the pipeline.
“A column stood at the explosion site about 30 km away. This location is one of the most vulnerable points in the gas network, a pipe junction. A column was found there,” Putin claimed.
According to the head of state, this column could be an antenna for receiving a signal to detonate an explosive device placed beneath the pipeline. Russia sought permission from Denmark to conduct a field survey, both independently and as part of an international team.
Explosions at Nord Stream and the decommissioned Nord Stream 2 occurred on September 26, 2022. Russia labeled the incident an act of terrorism and Putin named Anglo-Saxon involvement. German and Swedish authorities described the event as sabotage and opened investigations that have yet to identify the perpetrators or sponsors.
Officials noted that the matter would be examined thoroughly. A spokesperson for Denmark stated that results would be announced once the study is completed.
In March, The New York Times cited intelligence suggesting a pro-Ukrainian group was involved in the explosions. Putin called such reports implausible. Other theories surfaced, including a claim from a published investigation by a journalist that implicated American and Norwegian military forces, which sparked further discussion in the media landscape.