Explosives Found in Vicinity of Nord Stream Blasts, Sweden Says
Authorities have called explosions along the natural gas lines sabotage, but haven’t been able to determine a culprit
Swedish authorities investigating a series of blasts that damaged undersea natural-gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea said they had found traces of explosives on several foreign objects nearby, a potential break in an international probe into who was responsible for what authorities have called sabotage.
Sweden, Denmark and Germany are investigating the blasts in September that sent gas bubbling to the surface for days and caused severe damage to the the Nord Stream pipelines. Investigators have previously said they believe the blasts were an intentional act.
Sweden, in a statement Friday, said it found traces of explosives on several of the foreign objects. It didn’t elaborate but said it was continuing the “very complex and extensive” probe aimed at finding a culprit.
The discovery of explosives could help investigators learn the origins of the material. A press officer at the prosecutor’s office said it wasn’t clear if the material they had found was traceable.
The pipelines ran from Russia to Germany. Gas flows along the Nord Stream line had already been halted by Russia, a move European officials said was taken in retaliation for Western sanctions imposed on Moscow after it invaded Ukraine. Nord Stream 2 had just been completed before the invasion began, but Germany froze the project in February, days before Russian troops entered Ukraine. Before the war, Nord Stream was a major source of natural gas to Europe from Russia.