Danish authorities have recovered a mysterious object near the destroyed Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea. According to the Energy Agency and the military, it is an empty smoke buoy.

The approximately 40 centimeters high and cylindrical container was taken from the seabed from a depth of around 73 meters. He did not present a security risk.

It is not known whether and what role the smoke buoy played in the explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines. Smoke buoys are commonly used to mark something on the water for an extended period of time, such as where a person fell overboard.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously suspected that the object was an antenna for receiving a signal to activate an explosive device.

In addition to the Danish authorities and the military, a representative of the Nord Stream 2 operating company, a subsidiary of the Russian energy company Gazprom, was also involved in the salvage operation.

It is unclear whether the salvaged smoke buoy can help clarify the background to the explosions at the underwater tubes in September 2022. Studies are under way in several countries. Among other things, German investigative authorities recently expressed the suspicion that several people had transported explosives to the pipelines on a sailing yacht. There may be links to non-state actors in Ukraine.

The American journalist Seymour Hersh previously put forward the thesis that Norway and the United States were behind the attack. The news portal T-Online recently reported that traces lead to the Russian Navy.

Governments of several countries also accused each other of being behind the attack. The international investigation into the incident continues.

Sources: Danish Energy Agency, Seymour Hersh, T-Online, DPA news agency and AFP