German special services suggest that three pipes of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea may have become permanently unusable after alleged acts of sabotage.
It is claimed that if the pipelines are not repaired quickly, large amounts of salt water will enter and corrode them. Because the damage to the pipes is so extensive, a considerable amount of water can enter.
The European Commission, Germany's security authorities and the federal intelligence service BND suspect an act of sabotage. Due to the complexity of the attack, experts and German government circles believe only a government unit could have carried it out. It is assumed that Russia is behind this, but the motive remains unclear.
The BND now plays a leading intelligence role, evaluating satellite images of ship movements in the run-up to the explosions.
One theory is that divers may have planted explosives in two Nord Stream 1 pipes and one of the two Nord Stream 2 pipes.
According to information from Tagesspiegel, targeted explosions indicate that the gas leaks are enormous as the pressure drop rate in the pipes was high.
Germany, Denmark, and Sweden all assume that it may be sabotage.