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Russia begins investigation into causes of Nord Stream explosions — official

Four leaks were discovered in late September on the Nord Stream gas pipeline, with the most recent one pinpointed by Sweden’s coast guard

© Swedish Coast Guard via AP

GROZNY, November 1. /TASS/. Russia has begun investigating the causes of the explosions at Nord Stream, at the moment there are no official results of the investigation, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters.

"There are no official documents yet. The inspection is still in progress," he said.

"Of course, Gazprom management receives reports in real time. I believe there is some information, but I can’t tell you, because this is an ongoing process, they have just started working," the Deputy Prime Minister added.

Gazprom was allowed to inspect the explosion sites at Nord Stream and has already discovered the damage to gas pipelines, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on Monday. According to him, the results of the inspection prove that the incident at the gas pipelines was an obvious terrorist attack.

Four leaks were discovered in late September on the Nord Stream gas pipeline, with the most recent one pinpointed by Sweden’s coast guard. On September 27, operator Nord Stream AG reported that three lines of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 offshore gas pipelines had suffered unprecedented damage. The first leak was identified on Nord Stream 2 near the Danish Island of Bornholm. Then two leaks were recorded at Nord Stream. Swedish seismologists later reported that two explosions had been recorded along the Nord Stream pipelines on the previous day. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the incidents were sabotage.

Nord Stream was one of the main gas delivery routes from Russia to Europe. Its operation has been suspended since the end of August due to problems with repairs of Siemens turbines stemming from Western sanctions. Nord Stream 2 was completed in 2021 but never put into operation.

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