10/2/2022
German police were patrolling the North and Baltic Seas with “all available forces” following explosions at the underwater Nord Stream pipelines from Russia, its interior minister said Friday.
“We take the current threats seriously and are protecting ourselves,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung, amid suggestions the incident was the result of sabotage.
Police units, including helicopters, ships maritime special forces, had “special capabilities to intervene in dangerous situations”, Faeser said.
The Nord Stream pipelines, halted since the end of August, were key arteries for the delivery of natural gas directly from Russia to Germany.
The source of the explosions has remained a mystery, however, with both Washington and Moscow denying responsibility.
Germany would “support the joint investigation” of the incident with Denmark and Sweden, Chancellor Olaf Scholz told his counterparts from both countries in a video call Friday.
All indications pointed towards a “deliberate act of sabotage”, according to a readout of Scholz’s calls with the two leaders, as well as the Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.
Together with partners in the European Union and NATO, Germany would “strengthen preparedness and protection against sabotage for critical infrastructure”, the readout said.
Norway, which has become Europe’s biggest supplier of natural gas, said earlier Friday it had accepted military contributions from France, Germany and Britain to secure its oil and gas sector.
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