Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Wicked Blue

(5,832 posts)
Sat Nov 19, 2022, 12:46 PM Nov 2022

Massive explosion hits Russian Gazprom gas pipeline amid suspicions of sabotage linked to Putin's wa

Source: Daily Mail

An enormous explosion has hit one of Russia's major gas pipelines, sending flames and smoke billowing into the sky above and prompting fears it was a retribution attack for Vladimir Putin's continued invasion of Ukraine.

The fireball was visible for miles in every direction after hitting about 14 miles east of St Petersburg, the nation's second largest city and Putin's hometown.

One source said: 'Everything is automatic there, and such explosions by themselves, without external influence, are impossible.'

The blast is believed to have hit the main gas pipeline belonging to Gazprom Transgaz SPB, and could have potentially impacted up to one million people.

Read more: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11447127/Explosion-hits-Russian-gas-pipeline-amid-suspicions-sabotage-linked-Putins-war-Ukraine.html



Video of blast from Newsweek.com




https://www.newsweek.com/videos-reportedly-shows-massive-fireball-blast-near-russias-st-petersburg-1760858
29 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Massive explosion hits Russian Gazprom gas pipeline amid suspicions of sabotage linked to Putin's wa (Original Post) Wicked Blue Nov 2022 OP
Russia : "We condemn the bombing on infrastructure of another country" noahx Nov 2022 #1
And possibly sabotage the Nordstream pipelines nt Wicked Blue Nov 2022 #2
Wouldn't that mess up Europe? electric_blue68 Nov 2022 #6
tsk tsk tsk. hedda_foil Nov 2022 #3
Somebody flicked a cigarette where they shouldn't have? MarineCombatEngineer Nov 2022 #4
They are hazardous to one's wealth Kennah Nov 2022 #24
Something wrong with this video clip. KS Toronado Nov 2022 #5
It doesn't show the start of the explosion - it starts after that muriel_volestrangler Nov 2022 #9
Very first frame shows no smoke in the air KS Toronado Nov 2022 #13
I'm Not Seeing What Your Seeing ProfessorGAC Nov 2022 #15
OK, I'll take your word for it. KS Toronado Nov 2022 #16
Totally Agree ProfessorGAC Nov 2022 #17
It committed suicide. zuul Nov 2022 #7
Suicide by suicide drone? Kennah Nov 2022 #25
you think, maybe ? republianmushroom Nov 2022 #8
Pipeline fell out of a window Wicked Blue Nov 2022 #10
Thread win nt AZSkiffyGeek Nov 2022 #11
AMEN, 2live is 2fly Nov 2022 #21
And into a river Kennah Nov 2022 #26
Russia gets cold in winter too, Vlad NickB79 Nov 2022 #12
Given the article that Iran will now help Russia build drones, the NATO alliance needs to increase Lonestarblue Nov 2022 #14
I bet it was those pesky UKR gremlins.. You mess with our infrastructure, we mess with yours..nt mitch96 Nov 2022 #18
Oh well. So, what's for dinner tonight? ZonkerHarris Nov 2022 #19
In St. Petersburg? Possibly dog Kennah Nov 2022 #27
Israel, more than once proclaimed they will not stand by while Iran builds 2live is 2fly Nov 2022 #20
Putin really ought to declare a victory and go home. marble falls Nov 2022 #22
Haven't these guys ever heard of vapes? speak easy Nov 2022 #23
Decrepit Russian infrastructure can fail spontaneously. hunter Nov 2022 #28
Keep it going!! blue-wave Nov 2022 #29
 

noahx

(30 posts)
1. Russia : "We condemn the bombing on infrastructure of another country"
Sat Nov 19, 2022, 12:48 PM
Nov 2022

Except when we bomb Ukraine's electric system to non-existence.

KS Toronado

(17,220 posts)
5. Something wrong with this video clip.
Sat Nov 19, 2022, 01:16 PM
Nov 2022

Video shows the first smoke going into the air, why are 4 cars not moving on the roads? Unusual to say
the least, why are 4 cars stopped to catch the very beginning of an unexpected explosion?

muriel_volestrangler

(101,311 posts)
9. It doesn't show the start of the explosion - it starts after that
Sat Nov 19, 2022, 01:33 PM
Nov 2022

and you can't tell what happened before that - could have been a smaller initial explosion which then set off the big fireball that has formed by the time of this video. The car in the foreground is parked anyway, not just stopped on the road (on the wrong side of the road for driving in Russia).

KS Toronado

(17,220 posts)
13. Very first frame shows no smoke in the air
Sat Nov 19, 2022, 02:13 PM
Nov 2022

just the start of a fireball, if it had been burning before this fireball shouldn't there be some smoke in the air?
Heat does rise after all. Plus why are cars parked there, doesn't appear to be a residential area. Russia drives
on the right hand side of the road like we do here in the States, so all the cars are on the wrong side.

ProfessorGAC

(65,010 posts)
15. I'm Not Seeing What Your Seeing
Sat Nov 19, 2022, 04:02 PM
Nov 2022

First, as the video begins the fire already exists. Cars could have stopped to watch.
Secondly, smoke is not a good indicator in this case. If this is a natural gas pipeline is almost all methane & ethanol. These both are extremely efficient combustion reactants, so 99.9% of it has converted to CO2 & steam.
The steam near the plasma is still too hot to condense and form a cloud of water droplets. As the flame surges, that interface of condensation would be moving so exactly how much "smoke" we see is not a constant.
Since there is only a minute amount of unsaturated hydrocarbon in that stream we will see little to no visible smoke.
In forensic training sessions for chemical plant disasters, I've seen lots of incident videos, and this looks fairly typical to me. Without seeing the instant to ignition, we can't really conclude much from this video.

KS Toronado

(17,220 posts)
16. OK, I'll take your word for it.
Sat Nov 19, 2022, 04:15 PM
Nov 2022

I know I'm not a rocket scientist. Been nice if we had a little video before the fireball.

ProfessorGAC

(65,010 posts)
17. Totally Agree
Sat Nov 19, 2022, 04:27 PM
Nov 2022

There are a few famous surveillance videos of the moment of ignition I've seen. One was of a rocket fuel plant in Utah. From those first 2 or 3 frames, we can tell EXACTLY the point of origin. Since everything was gone 1 second later, that was important. We don't get that here, unfortunately.
Also, an infamous refinery explosion near Chicago was caught on film by accident by a local commercial firm team panning the horizon showing all the industrial activity in that area. Every regulatory agency you could think of wanted that tape.
The kicker: the guy who got that shot was the dolly camera operator the night our band got filmed for a TV show about club acts in Chicago. So, I actually knew him.

NickB79

(19,236 posts)
12. Russia gets cold in winter too, Vlad
Sat Nov 19, 2022, 02:13 PM
Nov 2022

Let's see who handles a lack of heat better, the Russians or the Ukrainians.

Lonestarblue

(9,981 posts)
14. Given the article that Iran will now help Russia build drones, the NATO alliance needs to increase
Sat Nov 19, 2022, 02:18 PM
Nov 2022

its own supplies for Ukraine, especially with more anti-missile technology and with longer-range missiles. As long as Ukraine is restricted from striking targets in Russia, the Russia people will continue supporting Putin. When their own cities are being bombed, they may not be so happy with him and his war.

If the war continues in this fashion, there will be nothing left of Ukrainian infrastructure. NATO has had the power to stop this war for months. No one wants WWIII, but it’s hard to see Ukrainians suffer while most Russians just go about their daily lives. They might have fewer international products to buy, but at least they still have homes. Millions of Ukrainians do not.

2live is 2fly

(336 posts)
20. Israel, more than once proclaimed they will not stand by while Iran builds
Sat Nov 19, 2022, 09:32 PM
Nov 2022

a nuclear weapon. Well?

And while you're at it Israel, how about taking out the drone manufacturing facilities there. What's that you say, something about riling-up the Russians? How about fuck them!

And as to this massive explosion, hopefully it'll cause some tens of thousands of Russians to freeze their vodka soaked asses off.

hunter

(38,311 posts)
28. Decrepit Russian infrastructure can fail spontaneously.
Sun Nov 20, 2022, 02:10 PM
Nov 2022

Hell, California's own Pacific Gas and Electric once blew up an entire neighborhood...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bruno_pipeline_explosion

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»Massive explosion hits Ru...