Three people were killed in an explosion at a repair site for a pipeline that transports natural gas to Europe on Tuesday. However, the incident did not affect supplies of export goods. Officials said they are optimistic.
The explosion ripped through a section of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhhorod pipeline in the Chuvashia region during repair work. Regional authorities stated that three repairmen were killed and another was hurt in the explosion, which sent huge amounts of gas into the sky.
One of the major routes to Russia for gas exports is the pipeline from Siberia that crosses Ukraine on its route to Europe.
Oleg Nikolayev (Chuvashia governor) stated in televised comments that it was not immediately known how long it would take for the pipe to be repaired after the blast. Gazprom’s regional branch, Russia’s government-controlled natural gas giant said that the explosion didn’t affect gas transit volumes as gas supplies were routed parallel.
Since an explosion in the Nord Stream 1 & 2 pipelines under the Baltic Sea, September 2011, the pipeline that crosses Ukraine has been the primary conduit for Russian natural gaz supplies to Europe.
Swedish investigators discovered explosives at the Baltic Sea location where two natural gas pipes were destroyed in an act “gross Sabotage.” However, they did not assign blame.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West for blowing up pipelines. He also singled out America as profiting off attacks on Europe’s energy infrastructure. However, some Nordic news outlets and other European media outlets claim Moscow was involved.
Nord Stream 1 was a Russian-oil pipeline that brought Russian gas into Germany. Russia cut supplies to Germany at the end August due to equipment issues. German officials rejected this explanation, claiming it was a cover for a political decision that would increase prices and cause uncertainty.
Nord Stream 2 was never put into service because Germany stopped its certification shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine.
