The US is reportedly offering to help analyze audio recordings from around the time of the Nord Stream gas pipelines’ apparent sabotage, CNN reported. Its most advanced underwater sound reading capabilities will be used to process the sonar signatures provided by Sweden and Denmark. This will help get a clear picture of what was in the area at the time of the pipeline explosions and what caused them.
Also Read | Restoration of ruptured Nord Stream pipelines possible, says Russia deputy PM
The end result will depend on the quality of the recordings. But at this point it is unclear if the recordings being provided by Sweden and Denmark are good enough or not. The processing of underwater sounds along with what underwater investigators find will play a key role in reaching a conclusion in the investigation.
Experts aren’t fully relying on satellite images from the time since it was cloudy and might not alone give the full picture. Notably, submarines, torpedoes and vessel engines make a unique sound called a “sonar signature”. The US has an extensive library of these sounds.
Although, the US Navy has not confirmed any such development, it has said that it is open to extending any kind of help in the investigations. The Swedish National Seismic Network (SNSN) has said that it detected the explosions, but seismic recordings aren’t at the same level as sonar recordings when it comes to quality, it said.
The US has analyzed underwater recordings provided by Sweden in the past as well.
(With inputs from agencies)
