Swedish authorities have issued a precautionary warning to maritime vessels after a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was detected near an underwater Baltic Sea gas pipeline, dpa cited news reports as reporting Saturday. It was discovered Friday during a routine inspection of the pipeline that transports natural gas from Russia to Germany. It is operated by Nord Stream, a Russian-German joint venture. The unmanned ROV was designed to clear mines. It carries an explosive charge that an operator can set off, thereby destroying the mine and the ROV itself. "Although it carries a small charge, our assessment is that it is very unlikely it will explode," military spokesman Jesper Stolpe told Swedish television.
