In Germany, unknown persons drilled eight holes in a gas pipeline under construction (2 photos)
There is information that environmental activists opposed the construction of the gas pipeline. However, the holes were made with professional equipment, and the environmental activists are unlikely to have held anything heavier than a banner and a can of spray paint in their hands.
In northern Germany, unknown attackers damaged a gas pipeline almost ready for operation for transporting liquefied gas, writes Der Spiegel. As the publication notes, eight holes are marked on the fourth construction site in Schleswig-Holstein between Brunsbüttel and Hetlingen and are scattered over a distance of more than a kilometer.
The police became aware of the sabotage at the end of November. During the investigation, it turned out that small holes in the pipe were drilled using professional equipment. It was almost impossible to notice them from the outside - the plastic coating of the pipe above them had shrunk after drilling. It was only possible to detect damage to the gas pipeline during an electronic inspection.
According to preliminary estimates, the damage from sabotage is at least 1.6 million euros. It is reported that federal prosecutors have been investigating the incident for a month now.
The pipeline from Brunsbüttel to Hetlingen, about 55 kilometers long, was planned to be put into operation at the end of 2023. However, authorities delayed its launch without giving an official reason. But now she is famous.
It is reported that the pipeline project has drawn sharp criticism from German environmental activists, who have repeatedly tried to prevent its implementation. For example, in the spring of 2023, in the Gros Nordende area, police discovered a sawn fragment of a pipe. However, the perpetrators could not be found and the case was closed. In August of the same year, activists seized several construction vehicles, after which they poured sand into their tanks and filled the ignition switches with glue.