Object found near Nord Stream 2 pipeline turns out to be smoke buoy

BERLIN. March 29 (Interfax) - The object found by Danish specialists near the Nord Stream 2 pipeline turned out to be a maritime smoke buoy, according to a statement of the Danish Energy Agency.

The cylindrical object found on the seafloor near the Nord Stream 2 pipeline "is an empty maritime smoke buoy, which is used for visual marking," the statement said.

"The object does not pose a safety risk," it said.

The buoy was retrieved from a depth of 73 meters. It is about 40 centimeters long with a diameter of ten centimeters.

It was reported earlier that the Danish Energy Agency invited the Nord Stream 2 operator, the Nord Stream 2 AG company, to take part in salvaging the object found near the gas pipeline from the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

In September 2022, an explosion caused pressure loss on two strings of Nord Stream 1 and one on Nord Stream 2 off the Danish island of Bornholm. Russia launched a criminal investigation on charges of international terrorism. Swedish security agencies also concluded that the incident was an act of sabotage. Denmark, Sweden and Germany are continuing to investigate the blasts.

Copenhagen said it would not let Russia take part in the investigation.