STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Traces of explosives have been found at Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, confirming the thesis of sabotage, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation carried out in Sweden said on Friday.
Swedish and Danish authorities are investigating leaks discovered at the end of September on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines linking Russia to Germany.
Denmark said in October that a preliminary investigation showed the leaks were caused by “powerful explosions”.
“The analyzes that have been carried out show traces of explosives on several of the objects recovered,” the Swedish prosecutor’s office said in a statement. “The investigation is very complex and thorough. The ongoing investigation will determine if any suspects can be identified.”
A sharp drop in pressure in Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 was detected on September 26 and seismologists recorded tremors caused by explosions in the Baltic Sea, which raised suspicions of sabotage on the two structures.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in late October that the blasts were caused by British navy soldiers, an allegation London said was intended to distract from Russian military failures in Ukraine.
(Anna Ringstrom, Johan Ahlander and Terje Solsvik, French version Laetitia Volga, editing by Blandine Hénault)
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