Nord Stream pipeline: Explosive traces found, indicating ‘gross sabotage’, Sweden says
The explosions at the Nord Stream pipeline in September were caused by an act of sabotageSwedish prosecutors said Friday after evidence of explosives was discovered at the sites by investigators.
Mats Ljungqvist, the prosecutor leading the preliminary investigation, has described the incident in a statement as “gross sabotage” and adds that “traces of explosives” were found at the scene.
The preliminary investigation will continue and has not yet determined any charges, the statement said. The prosecutor’s office declined to provide further comment, Reuters reported.
Swedish and Danish authorities have been examines four holes in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines connecting Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea.
Both pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between European capitals and Moscow that has battered major Western economies, sent gas prices soaring and sparked a hunt for alternative energy supplies since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
Västländer has previously said that the leaks, which were first discovered on September 26, were likely the result of sabotage. Denmark last month said a preliminary investigation had shown they were caused by powerful explosions.
The US was last month considering offering the use of its most advanced underwater sound-reading capabilities to analyze audio recordings from around the time of the incidents, CNN reported in October.
The U.S. Navy’s processing of the sonar signatures — the term for the unique underwater sounds — provided by Sweden and Denmark could bolster investigations by providing a more detailed picture of what was in the area when the incidents occurred and what caused them, sources familiar with the matter said. .
While many countries have the ability to process underwater noise, the United States has the most advanced system, sources said.
Nord Stream pipelines 1 and 2 were created to divert gas from Russia to the European Union and were controversial long before Russia waged war on Ukraine.
The pipelines have given Russia significant influence over Europe. But until this year, European countries have been reluctant to wean themselves off Russian energy given the potential for rising prices.
The damage to the pipelines is yet another twist in the energy shutdown that erupted after Russia’s invasion and has only deepened in the nearly nine months since.