Sweden’s Public Prosecutor’s Office announced this Wednesday the closure of the investigation into the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipelines, which occurred in September 2022, due to lack of jurisdiction.
“The preliminary inquiry was conducted in a systematic and thorough manner. Many ship movements were analyzed to understand what happened. There was also a careful examination of the scene and numerous interviews. Looking at the overall picture, we can confirm this,” stated the Swedish prosecutor. “Sweden has no jurisdiction.”
Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist noted that the main aim of the inquiry was to determine whether Swedish citizens were involved and whether Swedish territory was used to carry out actions that could threaten the security of this northern country.
The prosecutor’s office said, “There is no evidence that Sweden or Swedish citizens were involved in the attack that took place in international waters.”
Ljungqvist also highlighted the strong cooperation with Danish and, above all, German authorities. They provided material that could be used as evidence in the German investigation. (Citation: Swedish Public Prosecutor’s Office, official statement, 2024.)
“The German investigation is ongoing and, due to the confidentiality of international judicial cooperation, I cannot comment further on this matter. For the same reason, I cannot provide additional details about the results of the Swedish inquiry or any possible suspects,” he stated. (Citation: Swedish Public Prosecutor’s Office, official statement, 2024.)
The Swedish Public Prosecutor’s Office had previously confirmed that the incident constituted an act of serious sabotage, possibly carried out by a state actor. It had indicated that a decision on the case would be made this Wednesday, while German media suggested the case would be closed. (Citation: Swedish Public Prosecutor’s Office, 2024.)
Two leaks were detected in each gas pipeline, two in the Danish sector, and two in the Swedish sector; all occurred in international waters. Governments quickly described the event as sabotage and pointed to a state actor. (Citation: European security briefings, 2023.)
The three major leaks were sealed at the start of October that year after pressure was restored in the lines, though the smallest leak remained active for several more days. No pipelines were in service when the accidents occurred. (Citation: Nordic energy safety report, 2023.)
The first disruption followed Moscow’s claim of technical problems; the second pipeline has never operated since being blocked by the German government in February 2022, after Moscow’s recognition of the self-declared Donbas republics. (Citation: energy policy notes, 2023.)
Competing hypotheses about authorship
All parties involved in the incident, along with the European Union, the United States, and Russia, have discussed who might be responsible, though opinions differ on possible authorship. (Citation: international security analyses, 2023–2024.)
Russia has insinuated that Western, particularly Anglo-Saxon, interests could be behind the acts, hinting at opposition to a project that Washington has supported for years. Some Western observers have suggested different lines of inquiry. (Citation: geopolitical commentary, 2023–2024.)
An investigative report by journalist Seymour Hersh cited U.S. intelligence cooperation with Norway and other Western partners. Later, U.S. and German media pointed to a pro-Ukrainian group as the potential authors of the sabotage. (Citation: Hersh reporting, 2023.)