Sweden confirms the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline after finding traces of explosives | International

The Swedish authorities have reported this Friday that the investigations into the leaks detected in September in the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea have made it possible to find “traces of explosives”, which confirms the thesis that the gas pipeline was subject to a “blatant sabotage”. The Swedish prosecutor investigating the incident, Mats Ljungqvist, has detailed in a statement published by his office that “the analyzes carried out show traces of explosives in several of the objects found.” “The advanced analysis work continues in order to reach more decisive conclusions about the incident,” added the prosecutor.

The Governments of Denmark and Sweden reported on September 27 that the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, infrastructures for the transport of gas from northwestern Russia to Germany, had suffered damage and had leaks in their territorial waters. A day earlier, seismographs on the Danish island of Bornholm had detected two explosions in the area. The two infrastructures were already out of service then.

The Nord Stream 1 has not transported gas since the end of August, after Russia alleged an oil leak in the only Russian compressor station that was still operating. The Nord Stream 2 never went into operation. Germany suspended its certification last February, days before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, in response to Putin’s recognition of the independence of pro-Russian breakaway regions.

“The cooperation with the authorities in Sweden and other countries has worked excellently. Looking ahead to the following works in the framework of the preliminary investigation and ongoing collaborations, it is important that we can work in peace and quiet”, Ljungqvist stressed.

The Swedish Security Service indicated on October 6 that investigations had determined that the damage was caused by “explosions” and stressed that this “reinforces suspicions of serious sabotage.” Thus, he explained that the objective is to determine if there are suspicions against specific people for them to be prosecuted and stressed that what happened “is very serious.”

The operating company of the Nord Stream, Nord Stream AG, indicated after the events of September that the damage suffered by three of the pipelines “is unprecedented”, after a gas leak in one of the sections of Nord Stream 2 and a loss of pressure in the Nord Stream 1. The authorities of Germany, Denmark and Sweden have excluded Russia from the investigations into what happened, which has led to a formal protest from Moscow, which has warned that it will not recognize the result of any report in which you have not participated.

The discovery of the leaks caused the electricity and gas sectors of Denmark and Sweden to raise the alarm level about their facilities and the same did neighboring Norway, despite the fact that it has no coast in the Baltic, including a military presence. Both the affected countries and the rest of the European Union, the United States and Russia speak of sabotage, although they differ as to the possible authorship. Moscow has accused “Anglo-Saxon” countries of being behind it, alluding to the opposition to the project that Washington has maintained for years.

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