'Impossible to say if Nord Stream damage can be repaired'

LONDON

The management company of the Nord Stream gas pipelines said on Thursday that it is not certain if the damage to the pipelines is repairable, local Swedish media reported.

"It is today impossible to answer how big is damage and if it can be repaired," said Dimitri Smirnov, the press spokesperson at the construction and operation management company NordStreamAG, according to the broadcaster SVT Nyheter.

NordStreamAG confirmed that the damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 will be investigated as soon as the pipes are fully empty on gas, it added.

"We expect to start the investigation on Sunday or Monday," said Smirnov.

He also added that the investigation may take several weeks before any conclusions can be made.

The Swedish Coast Guard's safety marine operator said earlier on Thursday that the current gas leak from the damage caused to pipelines is still constant.

The statement by the marine operator also read that the pipes will leak out all the gas by Sunday.

The gas from the Russia-owned pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2 has being leaking since Monday.

According to the Swedish government, two undersea explosions in the Baltic Sea are the reason behind the Nord Stream damage.

The incident is now being investigated by the Swedish intelligence services under presumption of the suspected aggravated sabotage.

Four leaks in total are identified so far and all are in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark.

Nord Stream 2 operators were informed about a loss of pressure in the undersea pipeline on Monday near the island of Bornholm.

On Tuesday, Nord Stream 1 operators were informed that the pipelines had also sustained unprecedented damage and then it was concluded that the damage was due to undersea explosions.

Just as the works finished and Nord Stream 2 was ready to start flowing gas from Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany, the German authorities stopped it after Russia launched a war on Ukraine in February.

Nord Stream 1 pipeline that stretches 1,200 km (745 mi) under the Baltic Sea from the Russian coast near St Petersburg to northeastern Germany was stopped by Russia following Germany's decision.