Sweden stops investigation into Nord Stream pipeline explosion

Swedish prosecutors have announced that they will close their investigation into the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipeline explosions and hand over the evidence to German authorities.

The Swedish prosecutor's office said there was no evidence that Sweden or Swedish citizens were involved in the Nord Stream pipeline explosion that occurred "in international waters". The statement also stressed that Swedish jurisdiction did not apply in the case.

Leak location on the Nord Stream gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea.

The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines are at the heart of the escalating energy war between Europe and Russia, which has been one of the causes of skyrocketing gas prices in Europe, affecting major Western economies.

In September 2022, the Swedish Maritime Authority warned of two leaks on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which runs through the exclusive economic zones of Sweden and Denmark. The warning came shortly after a leak was also discovered on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which runs through Denmark's exclusive economic zone. All three pipeline sections where the incident occurred were offline but were pumping gas.

Nord Stream AG, the company that operates the gas pipelines, has confirmed a sudden drop in pressure on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. Denmark and Sweden said underwater explosions with the power of hundreds of kilograms of explosives could have caused the leaks on the two gas pipelines.

Immediately after the incident, Sweden, Denmark and Germany opened separate investigations and each country collected its own information, while Russia also launched an investigation into suspected sabotage. The Swedish prosecutor's office said that as part of this legal cooperation, it had handed over documents that could be used as evidence for the German investigation.

Currently, Denmark and Germany are still conducting investigations into the incident.

(Source: Tin Tuc Newspaper)

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