Four days before the blasts that damaged the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, Danish and Swedish warships were observed patrolling the Baltic Sea in a setting that drew sharp attention from regional observers and international media alike. British outlets, including the Times, highlighted the unusual naval activity that mapped the area around the Danish island of Bornholm, a strategic point in the Baltic region.
According to the report, the Danish Navy patrol vessel P524 Nymfen engaged in a rapid, high-main maneuver pattern that included turning off its transponder in a remote sector of the Baltic. The ship reportedly remained undetected for several hours, a move that sparked questions about what proceeded during that window. On that same day, Nymfen conducted a circumnavigation of Bornholm that had not occurred in years, a hint that the operation involved deliberate, perhaps lateral, maneuvering rather than routine patrol duties.
Sources say that immediately after the Danish patrol ship disabled its transponder, a Swedish Navy corvette accelerated toward the area, accompanied by a Swedish reconnaissance aircraft moving at high speed. The combination of radio silence from the Danish vessel and the swift approach of Swedish forces contributed to a narrative of coordinated, high-alert activity in the near waters around Bornholm.
An independent Danish researcher, Oliver Alexander, identified an unusual and seemingly purposeful routing pattern for the vessels involved. His observations were later corroborated by data from the Marine Traffic service, which tracks vessel movements and provides commercial and public access to maritime traffic information. The alignment of these independent assessments with Marine Traffic data added weight to the claims of unusual naval behavior in the days leading up to the damage incident.
In a separate note from government circles, it was reported that Denmark had invited Nord Stream entities to participate in the removal or remediation efforts related to the object located near the gas pipeline. The invitation underscored ongoing interest from Danish authorities in addressing the incident and in coordinating responses that could affect the broader regional energy infrastructure. The precise details and implications of this invitation remained a matter of public and expert debate, with analysts weighing the potential impact on regional security and energy resilience in the Baltic basin.