German investigators believe that the Russians undermined Nord Stream

German investigators established that the series of explosions of underwater gas pipelines, Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2, from Russia to Europe was sabotage.

According to officials familiar with the investigation, this coincides with Sweden’s preliminary findings. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing The Wall Street Journal.

German investigators have not been able to definitively link the alleged bombing to any participant, but German officials say they are working from a belief that Russia is behind the explosions.

The explosions caused leaks, affecting three of the four pipes that are part of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines that run under the Baltic Sea to transport natural gas from Russia to Europe.

Moscow denies responsibility and says the explosions were a terrorist attack against Russian interests. A preliminary Swedish investigation earlier this month concluded that the explosions, which occurred in late September, were probably caused by sabotage, but did not name the culprit. NATO said shortly after the attacks that the leaks were the result of sabotage, but offered no evidence or named the culprits.

German officials say it is unlikely that the sabotage was carried out by a military submarine, citing the relatively shallow water depth and the usually close surveillance of submarines conducted by NATO naval forces in the area. One theory of the attack is that explosive devices were lowered from the ship and then detonated remotely, German officials said.

The only pipeline not damaged by the explosions was one of the two strings of Nord Stream 2. Germany refused to certify Nord Stream 2 after Russia attacked Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin last week accused the West of disrupting energy supplies and said that “all it takes is to open the tap” to resume gas supplies to Germany through the undamaged pipe known as Nord Stream 2.

Some German officials say that by leaving one string intact after the attack, Russia is trying to increase pressure on German politicians to relent and open Nord Stream 2. A German government spokeswoman said she has no plans to launch Nord Stream 2.

As a reminder, on September 27, it became known about gas leakage at inoperative pipelines Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2.

Author – Anastasiya Glotova, 18/10/2022