Sweden ends investigation into possible sabotage of Nord Stream pipeline

The Swedish prosecutor’s office announced today that it has decided to end its investigation into possible sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline. The prosecutor’s office said Sweden has no jurisdiction to deal with the matter.

In September 2022, unexplained explosions damaged the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, through which Russia was sending and planning to send gas to Germany and on to the rest of Europe. The incidents occurred in Swedish and Danish waters.

Sweden, Denmark and Germany launched separate investigations into the explosions. „We have concluded that Swedish courts have no jurisdiction to deal with this matter and that the investigation should therefore be closed,“ the Swedish prosecutor’s office said in a statement today.

Swedish prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said the investigation had been systematic and thorough. „German investigators are continuing their work, and given the confidential nature of international legal cooperation, I cannot provide details of the Swedish investigation or any potential suspects,“ he added.

However, Ljungqvist said that, as part of its cooperation with the German authorities, Sweden had handed over material to the German side that could be used as evidence.

Denmark is also continuing to investigate the incident. Danish police announced today that they are likely to provide more information about their investigation soon.

Russia complained today, according to Reuters, that it had repeatedly requested information about the case but had been denied access. The Kremlin said attention was now focused on German investigators. „Russia will monitor what Germany does to investigate the explosions,“ the Kremlin said.

Russia had previously described the incident as a terrorist attack and suggested that Western countries were behind it. Western politicians rejected the allegations, while some accused Moscow of attacking the pipelines. Last year, media reports said a pro-Ukrainian group was involved in the sabotage. Kyiv has repeatedly denied any connection to the attack.