Danish Navy is stationed close to Nord Stream 2: media

The Royal Danish Navy is believed to be conducting a diving operation to the east of the island of Bornholm, not far from the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline damaged by a blast. Newspaper Berlingske reported on Tuesday that a Flyvefisken-class patrol vessel used by military divers had been seen there along with two other military ships. Last week, Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen announced that his government could corroborate a report by the Russian gas giant Gazprom, the operator of the undersea pipeline, about a strange object found near Nord Stream 2. The object was mentioned last week by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a TV interview. Putin asked for permission to explore further, necessary because the object is located in Denmark's exclusive zone.

Rasmussen said such permission would not be granted, triggering a rebuke from the Russian Foreign Ministry. The sabotage of the two Nord Stream pipelines, which mostly run next to each other but divert a bit near Bornholm, involved explosions in two different general locations, one in Danish waters, the other in the Swedish zone. Three of the four strings comprising the key energy links were ruptured, and the operation was ordered by US President Joe Biden, with the militaries of the US and Norway planting the charges. Both nations have denied any responsibility.