COPENHAGEN. March 24 (Interfax) - The Danish Energy Agency has invited the operator of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Nord Stream 2 AG, to join an operation to raise an object discovered near the pipeline on the Baltic seafloor, the agency said in a statement.
"With a view to further clarifying the nature of the object, Danish authorities have decided to salvage the object [...]. The Danish Energy Agency has in that context invited the owner of the pipeline, Nord Stream 2 AG, to participate in the operation," the agency said.
The object is cylindrical, is about 40 centimeters tall and 10 centimeters in diameter, and could be a maritime smoke buoy, the agency said. Danish experts believe the object does not pose an immediate safety risk, it said.
As reported earlier, a gas leak was detected from both strings of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and one string of Nord Stream 2 pipeline within Denmark's exclusive economic zone southeast of Bornholm. Russia launched a criminal investigation into an international terrorism count. Swedish special services also concluded that the incident was an act of sabotage. Denmark, Sweden, and Germany are continuing a probe into the blasts.
Copenhagen said it would not give permission to Russia to join the investigation.
U.S. journalist Seymour Hersh in February reported citing a source that the pipelines were blown up on the orders from U.S. President Joe Biden. Hersch claimed that combat swimmers from the U.S. Navy perpetrated the sabotage with Norway's assistance.
Hersh said on Thursday citing a source that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz informed Biden while visiting Washington earlier in March that a probe established the U.S. involvement in the blasts on the Nord Stream pipelines, after which the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and German intelligence invented a different explanation of the incident.