I plan to send an Inflammaging related e-mail today, but as circumstances present themselves, sometimes events happen and I must send out shorter pieces. Impactful events have the capacity to change the course of geopolitics.
A throwback to the first in the series of long pieces.
Pressure drop reported: Nord Stream pipelines may have been damaged by attacks
The Nord Stream pipelines may have been damaged by targeted attacks and leaked as a result.
After a drastic pressure loss occurred in one of the two lines of Nord Stream 2 during the night on Monday and a leak was found in Danish territorial waters, a spokesman for the double pipeline Nord Stream 1 also reported a “severe pressure drop” on Monday evening ' recorded on both lines. The situation is now being investigated.
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Research into the causes has been initiated in both cases, and the security authorities at federal level have taken on the cases. "Forensic results" cannot be expected within a short time, since the seabed has to be reached.
However, the worst is expected due to the timing, the three lines affected and the severe pressure losses in Nord Stream 1, which also indicate a large leak. "We can't imagine a scenario that isn't a targeted attack," said a person familiar with the federal and federal government's assessment. It went on to say: "Everything speaks against a coincidence."
Ukrainian counter-offensive The next major breakthrough is imminent in Donbass
Such a suspected attack on the seabed is anything but trivial, it has to be carried out with special forces, for example navy divers, or a submarine, according to the circles informed about the first assessment of the situation.
With regard to the authorship of the alleged attacks, two main options are being discussed. First, according to initial speculation, Ukrainian or Ukraine-affiliated forces could be responsible. With the Nord Stream pipelines temporarily switched off, gas deliveries from Russia to Germany and Central Europe would only be possible via the Yamal connection via Poland or the Ukrainian pipeline network.
Second, exactly the same scenario, but as a so-called "false flag" operation by Russia, is a possible explanation for the leaks in the pipelines. This could fuel additional uncertainty and the gas price could possibly be driven up again in order to exacerbate the European energy price crisis, which had recently eased minimally.
The company representative now fears that the pipeline, which is filled with 177 million cubic meters of gas, could run empty in the coming days. The NGO Deutsche Umwelthilfe pointed out that natural gas is methane, which is partially soluble in water and is not toxic. The deeper the gas is released in the sea, the higher the proportion that dissolves in the water, said a DUH spokesman. Even in the case of an underwater explosion, there would only be local effects.
The thing with hybrid warfare is that, while you can explore possible culprits to disruptions aimed at destabilization, you can never surely know who. Sure Russia or Ukraine both could be the culprits, but so could any nation ( cough Qatar, China cough) to further progress their political and economical ambitions.
Hybrid war has been in full force for the last 24 months with mostly China playing it solo, Russia followed earlier this year, with some non-state actors exploiting wherever it is possible, and now it is everybody’s game.
Of course within the theme and scope of hybrid war, not solely the US experience accidents in regards to food distribution centers and factories. Yesterday the biggest fresh product market in France caught fire.
As time goes on these disruptive events will increase in number, as Nation State and non-state actors and things in-between take advantage of the chaos to strive for whatever goals they have.
Expect another e-mail within a few hours, or within 1 hour. Not a fan of doing it, but…
Now they finally start to admit that the Schwechat oil refinery "maintenance" is actually an attack/sabotage....
This is the first time I have heard the term "hybrid war" used. I find it a very useful concept to help understand and think about the complex events unfolding simultaneously around the world.