Before the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, a Russian ship was in the area

2023-04-28 20:47:46

In the case of the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, the investigation is progressing, step by step. A Russian Navy ship specializing in underwater operations was present near the scene of the sabotage shortly before the explosions in late September, the Danish daily News reported on Friday. According to the newspaper, the Danish army has confirmed to him that it has 26 photographs of the SS-750 ship, which includes a midget submarine, taken in the Baltic Sea four days before the September 26 explosions.

The prosecutor in charge of the investigation on the Swedish side laconically confirmed the information to AFP, which had so far not been made public. “I was aware of this information. On its significance to the investigation, I cannot comment because the preliminary investigation is conditional,” prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said.

Several criminal investigations opened, but no conclusions

Seven months after the spectacular sabotage of these strategic gas pipelines linking Russia to Germany, the responsibility for the submarine attack remains a mystery despite criminal investigations in neighboring countries (Germany, Sweden and Denmark). THE New York Times had told him in early March, on the basis of information consulted by American intelligence, that a “pro-Ukrainian group” would be behind the sabotage, but without the involvement of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Germany had announced at the same time to investigate a boat suspected of having transported the explosives to the site, without being able to draw any conclusions on the identity of the perpetrators. The only certainty is that this sabotage is linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but “it’s a complex affair”, explained in early April a Swedish prosecutor who is taking part in the investigation. “Our main hypothesis is that a State is behind” this sabotage, had indicated the prosecution.