The multibillion-dollar Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines transporting gas 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.
Global mystery: what’s known about the Nord Stream blasts
Global mystery: what’s known about the Nord Stream blasts
“The investigation has led the authorities to conclude that there was deliberate sabotage of the gas pipelines. However, the assessment is that there are not sufficient grounds to pursue a criminal case in Denmark,” a Copenhagen police statement said.
Sweden earlier this month dropped its investigation into the explosions, saying it lacked jurisdiction in the case, but had handed uncovered evidence over to German investigators, who have yet to publish any findings.
A German government spokesperson said earlier this month Berlin was still interested in solving the case.
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‘Powerful explosions’ caused Nord Stream leaks, Danish authorities say
‘Powerful explosions’ caused Nord Stream leaks, Danish authorities say
The Kremlin on Monday said the situation regarding the investigations was “close to absurd”.
“On the one hand, there is recognition of deliberate sabotage, on the other hand, there is no further progress,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding Denmark had refused requests to provide information about its investigation.
The Danish prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Peskov’s assertion.
Danish police said they had been cooperating with relevant foreign partners and that the investigation they had conducted had been “both complex and comprehensive”.
A police spokesperson declined to comment when asked by Reuters to elaborate on why there were insufficient grounds for continuing the investigation and on which authorities they had shared their findings with.
Danish police had previously said the pipelines were hit by powerful explosions, and Swedish investigators confirmed that traces of explosives found on site conclusively showed that sabotage had occurred.
Ukraine officer had key role in Nord Stream sabotage: reports
Ukraine officer had key role in Nord Stream sabotage: reports
Last year, Germany told the UN Security Council it had found traces of subsea explosives on a sailing yacht that may have been used to transport the explosives, and that trained divers may have attached the explosives to the pipelines.
Some Western officials have said Russian naval vessels were in the area at the time of the blasts. Others have said there is no hard evidence to implicate Moscow, which called the suggestion it was behind the attacks “absurd”.