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Damaged Nord Stream 1 Pipeline Stabilized, Gas Leak Halted


A gas leak fromone of the pipelines is seen roiling Baltic Sea waters in the Swedish economic zone following a rupture on September 26.
A gas leak fromone of the pipelines is seen roiling Baltic Sea waters in the Swedish economic zone following a rupture on September 26.

Stable pressure has been achieved in the damaged Nord Stream 1 pipeline, authorities in Denmark say, indicating the outflow of natural gas from the last leaks has now halted.

A total of four leaks were discovered on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea near Denmark and Sweden last week.

While neither pipeline was in use at the time of the suspected blasts, they were filled with gas that has been spewing out and bubbling to the surface of the Baltic Sea since September 26.

On October 1, the Danish Energy Agency announced that gas was no longer flowing out of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Three leaks -- two in the Danish zone and one in the Swedish zone -- were discovered last week in the two major Russian underwater pipelines designed to ship natural gas to Germany, while Sweden on September 29 said its coast guard had found a fourth leak.

The incidents come amid rising tensions between Europe and Russia over the war in Ukraine.

While both NATO and the European Union say the leaks were caused by sabotage, they have so far refrained from directly pinning the blame on Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 30 accused the West of sabotaging the Russian-built pipelines, a charge denied by the United States and its allies.

European Union leaders will discuss the security of crucial infrastructure when they meet in Prague next week.

"Sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines is a threat to the EU," Charles Michel, who chairs meetings of EU leaders, said in a tweet on October 1 after talks with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Brussels.

"We are determined to secure our critical infrastructure. Leaders will address this at the upcoming summit in Prague," he wrote.

The leaders of EU member states are scheduled to meet in the Czech capital on October 7.

With reporting by AP and Reuters
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