The European investigation into the Nord Stream explosion is almost complete, and charges may be announced in the fall.
This is reported by CNN with reference to Swedish prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist.
“I really think we may be entering the final phase in this case. I hope that at least this fall we will be able to make a decision on the issue of the so-called indictment," he said.
Swedish and Danish authorities are investigating four holes in the Nord Stream pipelines that connect Russia and Germany at the bottom of the Baltic Sea as a result of last yearʼs explosion.
"I can say that the explosives have a special composition, on the basis of which certain conclusions can be drawn about the attacker," the prosecutor added.
- In September 2022, a decrease in pressure began to be recorded on the "Nord Streams". There were four gas leaks on the pipelines. The countries of the EU, the USA and NATO believe that the pipelines were sabotaged. Seismologists said that they recorded underwater explosions in the leakage zones. Swedish special services found confirmation of sabotage.
- In March 2023, the American publication The New York Times, citing sources and intelligence data, wrote that the explosions on the Russian gas pipelines Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 could have been carried out by a pro-Ukrainian group of "Putinʼs opponents". It allegedly included Russians and Ukrainians. The British newspaper The Times wrote that Western intelligence agencies have long known the name of the Ukrainian who allegedly financed the sabotage of the Nord Streams, but decided not to reveal his identity in order to protect Ukraine.
- Sweden has the main version after the investigation — the state structure is involved in the explosions on the Nord Streams, but it cannot be ruled out that an "independent group of actors" is behind the explosions.
- Meanwhile, the Danish Ministry of Defense said that a Danish boat took a photo of a Russian SS-750 special vessel near the site of the Nord Stream pipeline explosion. And in June 2022 , Russian ships visited the area of the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline at least twice, another visit to this area was less than a week before the explosions, they write in the investigation of four broadcasting companies — Danish DR, Norwegian NRK, Swedish SVT and Finnish Yle.
- The Washington Post reported on June 6 that three months before the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline , they allegedly learned from their European ally about the secret plans of the Ukrainian military.