Nord Stream pipeline leaks have increased suspicions of ‘sabotage,’ says Sweden

• Probe confirms “detonations” caused extensive damage to the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines.
• A prosecutor says evidence at the site has been seized. The pipelines were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany.
• Sweden, Denmark say they suspect several hundred pounds of explosives were involved.

Sweden’s domestic security agency said Thursday. That its preliminary investigation into leaks from two Russian gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. “Has strengthened the suspicions of serious sabotage” as the cause. And a prosecutor said evidence was seized at the scene.

According to the Swedish Security Service, the investigation revealed that “detonations”. Caused extensive damage to the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines last week. Authorities reported explosions in the area when the leaks off Sweden and Denmark first became public.

The agency, which stated that what occurred in the Baltic Sea was “very serious”. Did not provide any information about its investigation.

However, Swedish prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist stated in a separate statement that “seizures have been made at the crime scene and these will now be investigated.”

The seized evidence was not identified by Ljungqvist, who led the preliminary investigation.

According to Ljungqvist, he gave “directives to temporarily block (the area) and conduct a crime scene investigation.”

He stated that now that the initial investigation is complete. A blockade around the pipelines off the coast of Sweden will be lifted.

embedpost slug=”sweden-sends-a-diving-vessel-to-inspect-nord-stream-pipelines/”]

The governments of Denmark and Sweden previously stated that they suspected a deliberate act of sabotage involving several hundred pounds of explosives. The Nord Stream 1 and 2 leaks released massive amounts of methane into the atmosphere.

Undersea explosions ruptured Nord Stream 2 and its sister pipeline, Nord Stream 2, at two locations off the coasts of Sweden and Denmark last week. The pipelines were constructed to transport Russian natural gas to Germany.

Danish authorities said over the weekend that the two methane leaks they were monitoring in international waters had stopped. One of the leaks off the coast of Sweden also appeared to be over.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of attacking the pipelines, which the US and its allies vehemently denied, noting that Russia stands to benefit the most from disrupting Europe’s energy markets.

Separately, the Swedish coast guard stated that “the remaining emissions are more or less unchanged” and that it would resume normal environmental rescue operations.

embedpost slug=”sweden-nord-stream-1-pipeline-gas-leaks-are-forewarned/”]