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By Aditi Sangal, Adrienne Vogt and Tara Subramaniam, CNN
Updated 4:01 a.m. ET, September 28, 2022
What we're covering here
- Unexplained leaks have been found in two Russian undersea gas pipelines to Europe. Experts say the possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out.
- Pro-Russian authorities have concluded so-called referendums in four regions of Ukraine in a move universally dismissed as “a sham” by Western nations.
- Russia could now move quickly to annex the four areas, potentially within days, officials say.
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4 New Updates16 min agoEuropean leaders express concerns of sabotage over Nord Stream pipeline leaks
Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, left, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, center and Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist speak with the media about the Nord Stream gas leak in the Baltic Sea on September 27. (Fredrik Persson/TT News Agency/Reuters)
Several European leaders have suggested three leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea were caused deliberately.
On Tuesday the Danish Prime Minister said she sees the leaks as “deliberate actions.”
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson also said Tuesday that the incident is “likely a deliberate action.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen referred to the pipeline leaks as "sabotage action" in a tweet Tuesday. She added that, “Any deliberate disruption of active European energy infrastructure is unacceptable and will lead to the strongest possible response."
Finland Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said Tuesday that the damage caused to the pipelines is "very concerning," following a call with his Swedish counterpart Ann Linde.
"There should be a full investigation into the incident. Sabotage to the pipelines cannot be excluded. (This poses) serious risks for the environment and shipping," he added.
Even Russia, which built the network, said the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out.
Nord Stream AG, the operator of the pipelines, in safety documents published before any news emerged of the leaks, had said that the probability of a pipeline failure or leakage is “as low as one damage event every 100,000 years”.