On Monday and Tuesday this week, European security officials observed Russian Navy support ships in the vicinity of leaks of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines.

Intelligence sources shared this with CNN.

However, it is unclear whether the ships had anything to do with those explosions. Yet this is one of the many factors that investigators will be looking into.

In addition, Russian submarines were also spotted not far from those areas last week, as one of the intelligence officials told CNN.

It is emphasized that the U.S. officials do not yet have a comprehensive explanation of what exactly caused the explosions and three separate leaks in two pipelines.

Sweden has reported another gas pipeline leak detected on Tuesday, September 27.

According to one Danish military official, Russian ships are routinely operating in the area. He emphasized that the presence of the ships does not necessarily indicate that Russia caused the damage.

“We see them every week. Russian activities in the Baltic Sea have increased in recent years. They’re quite often testing our awareness – both at sea and in the air,” a Danish military official said.

At the same time, European and American officials are inclined to believe that it is the Russian side that is interested in the pipelines not functioning.

Investigation

Denmark and Sweden are conducting an investigation, however, a site inspection has yet to be done. It could take up to two weeks for an investigation to begin properly because the pressure in the pipes makes it difficult to approach the site of the leaks.

The US is tight-lipped about what exactly happened, however, Russia is still the leading suspect – assuming that the European assessment of deliberate sabotage is borne out.

“It’s hard to imagine any other actor in the region with the capabilities and interest to carry out such an operation,” the Danish military official said.

Russia has requested a UN Security Council meeting on the damaged pipeline this week. The high-ranking U.S. official shared that Russia isn’t typically organized enough to move so quickly, suggesting that the maneuver was pre-planned.

The U.S. officials familiar with the latest intelligence claim that Moscow would likely view such a step as worth the price if it helped increase the costs for Europe of supporting Ukraine. Sabotaging the pipelines could “show what Russia is capable of,” one US official said.

As previously reported, Ukraine will receive another 18 HIMARS rocket systems as part of the next military aid package from the USA.