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Fishing for secrets in the Nord Stream abyss

Published by , Editorial Assistant
World Pipelines,


The Intercept has published a longform report by senior correspondent and editor-at-large Jeremy Scahill on the international investigation of the explosions that destroyed part of Russia’s Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea on 26 September 2022.

Scahill’s feature focuses on the efforts of Erik Andersson, a private Swedish citizen with a master’s degree in engineering physics. Initially, Andersson had been motivated to find evidence to prove a theory proposed by journalist Seymour Hersh alleging that US President Joe Biden had personally ordered the destruction of the pipelines. What he found, however, was quite different.

Believing that private investigations of major world incidents can prevent media outlets from “spinning false narratives” or governments from “covering up crimes,” Andersson contracted a vessel with an experienced Baltic skipper and set out on a mission to discover “the type, size, and placement of the bombs” that damaged Nord Stream 2. To achieve that goal, he spent US$10 000 on the boat charter and another US$10 000 on an underwater drone with a high-resolution camera and other equipment.

Although Hersh has been adamant that the bombs were placed by American divers and that the attack was a highly complex task, Andersson’s investigation not only challenges Hersh’s assumption, but also casts serious doubts on the theory that Russia is behind the bombings. Instead, Andersson’s findings bolster the case that Ukraine – or private actors – are more likely to be responsible for the attack.

As Scahill states, Andersson is “keeping an open mind about all possible culprits and is eager for his data to be reviewed by more experts who can fact-check his own calculations and hypotheses.”

 

Read the latest issue of World Pipelines magazine for pipeline news, project stories, industry insight and technical articles.

World Pipelines’ June 2023 issue

In the June 2023 issue of World Pipelines, we cover hydrogen pipeline transport; pipeline sensing, composite coatings and inline inspection. Also featured are articles on metering and monitoring, and subsea pipelines.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/special-reports/29062023/fishing-for-secrets-in-the-nord-stream-abyss/

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