Kremlin 'concerned' about Nord Stream leaks

MOSCOW/COPENHAGEN — The Kremlin said on Tuesday it was "extremely concerned" about reported leaks on Russia's Nord Stream gas pipeline to Europe and its twin pipeline Nord Stream 2.

"This is a completely unprecedented situation that requires urgent investigation. We are extremely concerned about this news," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Asked by reporters whether it could be an act of sabotage, Peskov said: "It is impossible to exclude any options."

"Obviously there is some kind of damage to the pipe, as for what caused it — before there are results of the investigations, no option can be ruled out," he said.

Scandinavian authorities said on Tuesday that two leaks had been identified on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in the Baltic Sea — one in the Danish economic zone and the other in Sweden's — hours after a drop in pressure was reported on Nord Stream 2.

The Nord Stream 1 leaks were first spotted on Monday evening, hours after a drop in pressure was reported in Nord Stream 2, according to the Swedish Maritime Administration.

Citing a gas leak in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the Danish Maritime Authority issued a navigation warning on Monday and established a no-go zone southeast of Bornholm.

"The Danish authorities have today been informed of a major pressure drop in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline," a news release from the Danish Energy Agency said.

The no-go zone has a radius of 5 nautical miles (about 10 kilometers) around the pipeline.

The operator of Nord Stream 2 said pressure in the pipeline, which had contained some gas sealed inside despite never becoming operational, dropped from 105 to 7 bars overnight.

Meanwhile, negotiators of a stopgap spending bill in the US Congress have agreed to include nearly $12 billion in new military and economic aid to Ukraine, Reuters quoted sources familiar with the talks as saying on Monday.

In response to a request from the administration of US President Joe Biden, the funding would include $4.5 billion to provide defense capabilities and equipment for Ukraine, as well as $2.7 billion to continue military, intelligence and other defense support, said the sources, who asked not to be identified.

It also will include $4.5 billion to continue to provide direct budget support to the Kyiv government through the next quarter.

In other developments, Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to announce the accession of occupied regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation during an address to parliament on Sept 30, Reuters quoted the British Ministry of Defence as saying on Tuesday.

Referendums underway within these territories were scheduled to conclude on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said in its daily briefing on Twitter.

Agencies - Xinhua