A Danish military image of a site in the Baltic Sea where natural gas from the Nord Stream pipeline is rising to the surface.
Danish Defense Command
NATO said the pipeline damage was due to “deliberate, reckless, and irresponsible acts of sabotage.”
Sweden said it had found a fourth leak on the Nord Stream pipelines this week.
Norway is mobilizing its military around its oil and gas assets, The Financial Times reported.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has threatened to retaliate against those responsible for the damage to the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines that run between Russia and Europe.
NATO issued a statement on Thursday saying the leaks were of “deep concern” and would be met with a “united and determined response.”
“All currently available information indicates that this is the result of deliberate, reckless, and irresponsible acts of sabotage. These leaks are causing risks to shipping and substantial environmental damage. We support the investigations underway to determine the origin of the damage,” the statement read.
“We, as Allies, have committed to prepare for, deter and defend against the coercive use of energy and other hybrid tactics by state and non-state actors. Any deliberate attack against Allies’ critical infrastructure would be met with a united and determined response.”
The statement came after the Swedish coast guard said a fourth leak had been discovered on the Nord Stream pipelines.
“Two of these four are in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone,” coast guard spokesperson Jenny Larsson told the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper on Wednesday night, adding that the other two breaches were in Denmark’s zone, Reuters reported.
The initial leak was detected on Monday in Nord Stream 2 as a drop in pressure was observed in both pipelines.
Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary-general, met Danish defence minister Morten Bødskov on Wednesday and said he had “addressed the protection of critical infrastructure in NATO countries”, per the Financial Times.
“Russia has a significant military presence in the Baltic Sea region and we expect them to continue their saber-rattling,” Bødskov told the newspaper.
Europe is now bracing for more disruption as tensions escalate, with the FT reporting that Norway – now the EU’s biggest gas supplier – was deploying its military to protect oil and gas installations.
On Tuesday, German lawmaker Roderich Kiesewetter called the leaks “sabotage” by Russia, while former CIA director John Brennan told CNN on Wednesday: “This is clearly an act of sabotage of some sort and Russia is certainly the most likely suspect.”
Several weeks ago, the CIA told Germany that the Nord Stream pipelines could be attacked, Germany’s Der Spiegel newspaper reported.
The Swedish coast guard did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.