Looks like someone blew them up…
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Originally posted by TOM4CWB View Post
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ReutersReuters
UPDATE 2-Medvedev raises spectre of Russian nuclear strike on Ukraine
Guy Faulconbridge and Caleb Davis
Tue, September 27, 2022, 2:00 AM
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Medvedev warns West over Ukraine
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Raises spectre of nuclear strike
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Says NATO would not get involved
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Russia has world's biggest nuclear arsenal
(Adds quotes, details on Russia's nuclear arsenal)
By Guy Faulconbridge and Caleb Davis
LONDON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - An ally of President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday outlined the scenario of a nuclear strike on Ukraine, saying that the U.S.-led NATO military alliance would be too scared of a 'nuclear apocalypse' to directly enter the conflict in reponse.
Dmitry Medvedev, a former president who now serves as deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said Russia had the right to defend itself with nuclear weapons if it is pushed beyond its limits and that this is "certainly not a bluff".
Putin last week ordered Russia's first mobilisation since World War Two and backed a plan to annex swathes of Ukraine, warning the West he was not bluffing when he said he would be ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia.
"Let's imagine that Russia is forced to use the most fearsome weapon against the Ukrainian regime which had committed a large-scale act of aggression that is dangerous for the very existence of our state," Medvedev said in a post on Telegram.
Medvedev's remarks quoted the exact terminology of one of the conditions of Russia's nuclear strike doctrine: "aggression against the Russian Federation with conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is threatened".
The 57-year-old Putin ally, who once presented himself as a reformer who was ready to work with the United States to liberalise Russia, has recast himself in recent months as the most publicly hawkish member of Putin's circle.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, he has repeatedly raised the threat of nuclear chaos and used insults to describe the West.
NUCLEAR WARNING
Washington has not detailed what it would do if Putin ordered what would be the first use of nuclear weapons in anger since the United States unleashed the first atomic bomb attacks on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that the United States would respond decisively to any Russian use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine and has spelled out to Moscow the "catastrophic consequences" it would face.
Around 90% of the world's nuclear warheads are held by Russia and the United States, who remain by far the world's biggest nuclear powers.
Russia has 5,977 nuclear warheads while the United States has 5,428 warheads, while China has 350, France has 290 and the United Kingdom has 225, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
Medvedev's comments come as Russia prepares to annex large swathes of Ukrainian territory after referendums in Russian-controlled regions in Ukraine which Ukraine and the West have described as an illegal sham.".....
Blowing up the pipelines... a thinly [or not so] veiled threat?
Cheers...Comment
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Associated Press
Swedish seismic network registers blasts near pipeline leaks
A large disturbance in the sea can be observed off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 following a series of unusual leaks on two natural gas pipelines running from Russia under the Baltic Sea to Germany have triggered concerns about possible sabotage. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says she “cannot rule out†sabotage after three leaks were detected on Nord Stream 1 and 2. (Danish Defence Command via AP)
"The era of Russian domination in the gas sphere is coming to an end," Morawiecki declared. “An era that was marked by blackmail, threats and extortion.â€
No official presented evidence of what caused the Nord Stream problems, but in central Europe, where distrust of Russia runs high, there were fears Moscow sabotaged its own infrastructure out of spite or to warn that all pipelines are vulnerable to attack. The leaks emerged off the coast of Denmark and Sweden, raising the stakes on whether energy infrastructure in European waters was being targeted and leading to a small bump in natural gas prices.
“We can clearly see that this is an act of sabotage, an act that probably means a next step of escalation in the situation that we are dealing with in Ukraine,†Morawiecki said.
Anders Puck Nielsen, a researcher with the Center for Maritime Operations at the Royal Danish Defence College, said the timing of the leaks was “conspicuous†given the ceremony for the Baltic Pipe. He said perhaps someone sought “to send a signal that something could happen to the Norwegian gas.â€
“The arrow points in the direction of Russia,†Puck Nielsen said. “No one in the West is interested in having any kind of instability in the energy market.â€
The extent of the damage means the Nord Stream pipelines are unlikely to be able to carry any gas to Europe this winter even if there was political will to bring them online, analysts at the Eurasia Group said.
“Depending on the scale of the damage, the leaks could even mean a permanent closure of both lines,†analysts Henning Gloystein and Jason Bush wrote.
They noted that undersea pipelines are designed in a way that they are not accidentally damaged and leaks are rare.
“Leaks of this size are a severe safety and environmental hazard, especially should Russia not stop pumping gas into the system,†the analysts said.
Puck Nielsen said of possible sabotage that “technically speaking, this is not difficult. It just requires a boat. It requires some divers that know how to handle explosive devices.â€
“But I think if we look at who would actually benefit from disturbances, more chaos on the gas market in Europe, I think there’s basically only one actor right now that actually benefits from more uncertainty, and that is Russia," he said.
Asked if the leaks may have been caused by sabotage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “no version could be excluded.â€
“This is an unprecedented situation that requires an urgent investigation. We are extremely worried by this news,†he said in a conference call with reporters.
The Danish and Swedish maritime authorities issued navigation warnings after the leaks in the pipelines were detected northeast and southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm.
Denmark established a prohibited area to ensure that ships do not go near the leaks. Ships may lose buoyancy, and there may also be a risk of ignition above the water and in the air, authorities said.
The Nord Stream pipelines have been at the center of an energy clash between Europe and Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in late February. Plunging Russian gas supplies have caused prices to soar, pressuring governments to help ease the pain of sky-high energy bills for households and businesses as winter nears. The crisis also has raised fears of rationing and recession."...Comment
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How's that for one world globalism.
Kumbayah
Energy, Food, Power.Comment
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China is an expert in playing both sides against the middle while picking up the pieces. Don't think that they're going to lose out.Comment
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I was going to bale some slew hay this afternoon but maybe I’ll start my old excavator and start building a bunker instead.Comment
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Obviously Russia is mad…. Their Nordstream blackmail pipelines lost traction…. Coincidentally they blow up the same day the new pipe line opens… early… with twice the original capacity…
Blessings and Salutations, just finished our harvest!!!Comment
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Why would Russia blow up a pipeline that they have valves on. Man people dont think, they just react to some headline. Pavlovs dogs.
Russia cut pipeline deals with India, Pakistan and China this past week.Last edited by jazz; Sep 27, 2022, 18:57.Comment
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