Sweden closes probe into explosions on Nord Stream pipelines

Swedish prosecutors said on Wednesday they would drop their investigation into explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines and hand evidence uncovered in the probe over to German investigators.

"The investigation concludes that Swedish jurisdiction does not apply and that the investigation, therefore, should be closed," the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement.

The multi-billion dollar Nord Stream pipelines transporting Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea were ruptured by a series of blasts in the Swedish and Danish economic zones in September 2022, releasing vast amounts of methane into the air.

Danish police have said powerful explosions hit the pipelines, and Swedish investigators have confirmed that traces of explosives found on site conclusively showed that sabotage had taken place.

Sweden, Denmark, and Germany launched separate investigations into the Nord Stream blasts, each tightly controlling information. The Danish and German probes are still ongoing.

"Within the framework of this legal cooperation, we have been able to hand over material that can be used as evidence in the German investigation," the Swedish prosecution authority said.

Following an extensive investigation, the Swedish prosecutors concluded that nothing had emerged to indicate that Sweden or Swedish citizens were involved in the attack, which took place "in international waters."

"Against the background of the situation we now have, we can state that Swedish jurisdiction does not apply," Public Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said in a statement.

Russia has blamed the United States, Britain, and Ukraine for the blasts, which largely cut it off from the lucrative European market. Those countries have denied involvement.

If the remaining investigations find no conclusive evidence, the mystery behind one of modern history's most significant acts of infrastructure sabotage could remain unsolved.

Reuters