Sweden ends investigation into Nord Stream

Photo: Bulletin/AFP/NTB

Swedish authorities end the investigation into the explosions in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

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In a press release, Swedish prosecutors wrote that the investigation had reached a point where authorities had a good understanding of the incident, and nothing had emerged indicating the involvement of Sweden or Swedish citizens in the attack.

The initial investigation was systematic and comprehensive. Among other things, a large number of ship movements were analyzed to understand what happened. In addition, an extensive crime scene investigation was conducted, and several interviews were conducted in this case. Based on the understanding of the situation that we have now, we can say that Swedish Jurisdiction Jurisdiction Judiciary.Missing, says prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist.

Further investigations

Sweden, Denmark and Germany are all investigating the explosions off Bornholm that destroyed the two pipelines in September 2022. But there is not much information about what has been revealed.

The Swedish Public Prosecutor's Office wrote in a press release on Tuesday that the decision will be made during Wednesday, and a press release will be sent in this regard.

According to German newspapers Süddeutsche Zeitung Die Zeit newspaper, along with broadcasters WDR and NDR, announced on Tuesday that the Swedish investigation had ended.

This was because a clear suspect could not be found in the case, they wrote. However, this does not affect investigations conducted by other countries.

German media: The Swedish investigation into Nord Stream has ended

Swedish prosecutors announced their decision on Nord Stream on Wednesday after nearly a year and a half of investigation into the sabotage.

Russia demands information

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines were built to transport Russian gas from Russia to Germany. In Sweden, the incident is being investigated as a serious act of sabotage.

According to German media leaks, several indicators point in the direction of Ukraine. For its part, Ukraine accused Russia of being behind it.

Commenting on the Swedish investigation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says that Russia has repeatedly requested information about investigations in Western countries, but without having any idea about the matter.

At the same time, he described the explosions that destroyed the two pipelines as “sabotage of vital international infrastructure.”

This is what it looked like in October 2022:

Sailboating is an important path

The head of the Swedish investigation, Mats Ljungqvist, has not yet commented on the suspicions about who is behind the sabotage operation. But in a letter to the UN Security Council, Sweden, Denmark and Germany stated that the sailboat called Andromeda was the main route. The boat was said to be transporting explosives used to destroy gas pipelines.

According to Jungqvist, Sweden is cooperating with other countries on how to communicate this next step in this regard.

information

Facts about the sabotage of Nord Stream.

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines extend between Russia and Germany across the Baltic Sea.
Nord Stream 1 is more than 120 miles long and extends from Viborg in northwestern Russia to Greifswald in northeastern Germany.
It was the longest subsea pipeline in the world when it was built.
Nord Stream 2 runs parallel to Nord Stream 1. It was built between 2018 and 2021 and was supposed to double the capacity of Russian gas exports to Europe, but it was never used.
On September 26, explosions were recorded on the seabed, after which four pipeline leaks were discovered, two in Swedish waters and two in Danish waters.
Remnants of explosives were found on items recovered from the site.
It is said that remnants of the same type of explosives were found on board a chartered sailboat that was in the area where the explosions occurred.
According to German media outlets such as Der Spiegel and ZDF, German investigators found evidence suggesting that Ukrainians were behind the sabotage.
The Washington Post wrote in November that Ukrainian intelligence officer Roman Chervinsky coordinated the operation. He himself rejects this.
According to the newspaper, Chervinsky and others allegedly behind this action should have reported directly to Ukrainian Defense Minister Valery Zalozny. The operation is said to be “designed” so that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would not know about it, according to The Washington Post.
Chervinsky is imprisoned in Kiev on charges of abuse of power in another case. Speculation that Zelensky will dismiss People's Defense Minister Zalozny has been going on for a long time.