Swedish seismic network registers blasts near pipeline leaks

Swedish national seismic network says it detected two explosions near leaks in Russian gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea.

Warsaw (Poland): The Swedish national seismic network says it detected two explosions close to unusual leaks on two Russian natural gas pipelines running under Baltic Sea to Germany. The network said Tuesday that it registered one blast early Monday southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm and a slightly larger one later that night northeast of the island.

It says the latter explosion was equivalent to a magnitude-2.3 earthquake. Leaders of Poland and Denmark and experts have raised concerns that the leaks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipeline were sabotage. Experts say Russia could be to blame as a way to further shake up natural gas markets amid an energy crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine. A Kremlin spokesman says the development was worrisome and needed urgent investigation. (AP)