German authorities fear that the Nord Stream 1 could become “unusable forever” after major leaks into the Baltic Sea

Tagesspiegel has cited government sources as warning that large volumes of salt water will flow into the pipelines and cause corrosion if leaks in the two lines are not repaired quickly, Qazet.az reports.

The paper writes that due to the complexity of the attack, experts and those in government circles believe that it could only be carried out by a state actor.

Germany’s defence minister Christine Lambrecht has said the country’s navy is contributing to the investigation into the leaks, adding that the situation must be clarified and those responsible must be identified quickly.