Extent of Nord Stream leak pictured from space

Russia was accused of attacking the Nord Stream undersea gas pipelines

These satellite images show the leak coming from the Nord Stream underwater pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

The stills, released by the European Space Agency and taken by satellites including the Copernicus Sentinel-2 and US Landsat 8 mission, show the 500 metre-wide gas leak bubbling in the Baltic.

Russia was accused of attacking the Nord Stream undersea gas pipelines, which led to huge methane leaks.

Methane is not toxic, but it is the second most abundant anthropogenic greenhouse gas in our atmosphere causing climate change.

ESA’s Scientist for Ocean and Ice, Craig Donlon, said, “The power of active microwave radar instruments is that they can monitor the ocean surface signatures of bubbling methane through clouds over a wide swath and at a high spatial resolution overcoming one of the major limitations to optical instruments.

This radar image was captured by ICEYE, part of the Copernicus Contributing Missions fleet. (ESA)

“This allows for a more complete picture of the disaster and its associated event-timing to be established.”

Prime Minister Liz Truss has said a series of explosions which caused major damage to the pipelines were “clearly an act of sabotage”.

The EU has urgently cranked up security and warned of retaliation following the “highly suspicious” damage.

Although no officials have publicly blamed Russia for the explosions, one Western official said the leaks in the gas were a very serious development and suspicions were that Moscow was behind the attack.

GHGSat monitors methane emissions monitoring from space (ESA)

“On the pipelines, clearly, this looks very serious. The multiple explosions at the same time – it’s very serious, and is going to have to be investigated,” the official said, on condition of anonymity.

“It definitely looks highly suspicious, but I think we need to establish the facts and then attribute.”

The European Commission’s Ursula von der Leyen said deliberate disruption would be met with the “strongest possible response”.