Sweden shuts down Nord Stream investigation

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Sweden's public prosecutor has decided to close the investigation into the mysterious underwater explosions that destroyed two pipelines transporting Russian gas to Germany. After 16 months of probing, the inquiry into the Nord Stream 1 and 2 blasts, which occurred in September 2022, has been terminated due to limitations in Swedish jurisdiction.

 

Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist clarified that the investigation's primary objective was to determine if any Swedes were involved or if Swedish territory had been utilized in the attacks. However, he concluded that Swedish jurisdiction did not apply to the case, leading to the closure of the inquiry.

 

Although Swedish authorities have ceased their investigation, German and Danish authorities continue to pursue leads into the explosions that targeted three out of four gas lines near the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. The decision by Swedish prosecutors may indirectly aid the German inquiry if the Swedish Security Service (Sapo) has uncovered additional information, which they have reportedly shared with other countries.

 

Sapo cited the impracticality of further pursuing the matter within Swedish jurisdiction as the reason for closing the inquiry. The targeted pipelines, constructed by Russia's Gazprom, included Nord Stream 2, which was never operationalized due to Germany halting the project following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

 

Suspicious movements of Russian vessels in the area before the blasts have raised suspicions, with Moscow denouncing the sabotage as an act of international terrorism and accusing the US and UK. Alternately, there have been speculations of involvement by a pro-Ukrainian group, although Ukraine has denied any connection.

 

Recent attention has focused on a yacht named the Andromeda, which chartered six individuals and made stops in Denmark and Poland before the explosions. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius previously suggested that the blasts could have been a "false flag" operation aimed at implicating Ukraine.

 

09.02.24

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