Nord Stream 1 and 2

Why in the News?

• A Ukrainian suspect, identified as Serhii K., has been arrested in Italy over the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022.
• He is accused of being part of a group that planted explosive devices on Nord Stream 1 and 2, which were hit by massive blasts in September 2022, months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

About Nord Stream

• What is it?
  • The Nord Stream system is a set of twin underwater natural gas pipelines (Nord Stream 1 & Nord Stream 2).
  • Built and operated by Nord Stream AG, majority-owned by Russia’s state-controlled Gazprom.
• Capacity:
  • Can transport up to 110 billion cubic metres (bcm) of Russian natural gas annually to Europe.
• Route:
  • Runs under the Baltic Sea from Vyborg (Russia) to Lubmin near Greifswald (Germany).
  • Crosses Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany, and passes through the territorial waters of Russia, Denmark, and Germany.
• Significance & Controversy:
  • Allowed Russia to supply gas directly to Germany, bypassing transit countries in Eastern Europe.
  • Made Germany highly dependent on cheap Russian energy.
  • Nord Stream 1 (NS1): Gas flow stopped by Russia after Western sanctions in 2022.
  • Nord Stream 2 (NS2): Completed but never began operations due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.