Nord Stream pipeline leaks caused by detonation, Swedish probe says

Nord Stream Pipeline Leaks: Seizures made from the crime scene are being analyzed to show “whether someone can be served with suspicion and later prosecuted,” the Security Service said.

The Swedish Security Service stated that detonations caused the damage to the undersea Nord Stream pipeline system just outside its territorial waters.

Nord Stream Gas Pipeline Leaks: A satellite image shows a gas leak on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. (Reuters)

Seizures made from the crime scene are being analyzed to show “whether someone can be served with suspicion and later prosecuted,” the Security Service said in a statement. The completed investigation has “strengthened the suspicions of serious sabotage,” it said.

The two leaks in the pipelines traversing the Baltic Sea to Germany from Russia were disclosed in the Swedish exclusive economic zone last week, and a further two leaks in Denmark’s zone, prompting investigations and increased security for the region’s key energy infrastructure.

The ruptures have sparked fears that Russia may stage surreptitious attacks on vital energy pathways to spike prices in the already-stressed European Union as winter sets in. Several governments, including the German, have previously called the actions “deliberate” and “sabotage,” with Finland noting last week that only a state actor could be capable of acts on such a scale.

The gas leaks in the Swedish zone appear to be decreasing in strength, the country’s coast guard said on Wednesday, while bubbling near Denmark had ceased during the weekend.