The Danish maritime authority on Monday reported a gas leak in the Baltic Sea, near the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany.
Earlier in the day, a pressure loss had already been reported in the pipeline. The pipeline's operator has also confirmed the leak.
The leak is located about 20 kilometres southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm, and is "dangerous for shipping traffic," according to the maritime authority. Shipping is therefore prohibited within a radius of five nautical miles (about nine kilometres) around the site, the authority reported.
French news agency AFP reports sources as saying that a no-fly zone has reportedly been declared over the area of the leak.
Nord Stream 2 runs for 1,230 kilometres from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. The pipeline is ready and filled with gas but has not been used by the West for gas imports.
The German government put the pipeline approval process on hold in February shortly before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. After the invasion, Germany announced that the pipeline could no longer be put into operation.
