Sabotage suspected in Nord Stream pipeline leaks

European authorities are investigating mysterious leaks from the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines that churned up in the Baltic Sea this week, raising international concerns of potential sabotage.

☝️ First things first: The leaks have no impact on Europe’s gas supply, since both pipelines aren’t currently in use. Germany paused the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in February over Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and Moscow indefinitely halted all gas flowing through Nord Stream earlier this month.

• But experts say the leaks could damage the climate and be costly to repair – though it’s still unclear what originally caused them.

🤔💥 A leading theory… Seismologists in Sweden and Denmark said their instruments detected signs of two “probable explosions” in the Baltic Sea on Monday, around the same time both Nord Stream pipelines underwent dramatic falls in pressure (signaling a leak).

• Separately, German news outlet Der Spiegel reported yesterday that the German government was warned by the CIA weeks ago about potential attacks on gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

🇷🇺🇺🇦 In other Russian-related news: Moscow is set to formally annex occupied territories in Ukraine, following the conclusion of referendums widely seen as a sham and considered illegal under Ukrainian and international law.

Residents from the occupied areas said the vote featured coercion and threats from Russian soldiers, who in some cases went door-to-door forcing people to vote at gunpoint, per the WSJ.

• Russia’s parliament will consider formally annexing the provinces next Tuesday, per state media.