Denmark is recovering an unidentified object found next to a Russian gas pipeline damaged in an explosion last September, as investigators continue to hunt for who was behind the attack.
The operation comes two weeks after German authorities said they searched a ship that may have carried explosives used in the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Several probes are investigating the origin of the attack on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, designed to deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea.
The Danish Energy Agency has asked Nord Stream 2 AG, the Swiss-based operator of one of the pipelines, to help identify the object, which it said could be a maritime smoke buoy. This type of device is typically used to send distress signals. Danish authorities said the object did not pose an immediate security risk and planned to raise it from the seabed with the help of the country’s military forces.
Western nations have beefed up the security of energy infrastructure after the explosions, which they attribute to sabotage. The attack has sparked a wave of accusations, with Russia blaming the US, Ukraine and Poland, calling them “beneficiaries” of the blasts.
Several news organizations reported intelligence earlier this month indicating that a pro-Ukraine group may have been behind the blast.
The London-based Times said Western security agencies were aware of a link to Ukraine from the beginning but hesitated to announce their findings to avoid tension between Kiev and Berlin. The New York Times said US agencies pointed to the sabotage by a pro-Ukraine group, although it cited the division for new intelligence.
