The new inspection was initiated at the behest of the Swedish navy and was independent of the ongoing Swedish criminal investigation into the leaks. The navy would not say what it was looking for.
https://p.dw.com/p/4Ij0A
Sweden's Armed Forces said on Wednesday it had begun new inspections in the Baltic Sea at the sites of suspected explosions that ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines last month.
"The Swedish Armed Forces are this week carrying out complementary seabed surveys at the gas leaks with minesweepers," the armed forces said on Twitter. "The investigation is done at our own initiative and is not part of the police investigation."
Military officials did not want to be drawn into what sparked the new probe. "I can't comment on what we are looking for, why we are there; but we had the need to come back to do an additional search," a spokesperson for the military said.
Swedish prosecutors and police earlier this month wrapped up a crime scene investigation with the help of the navy and coast guard.
Nord Stream 'explosions' caused damage
Both Sweden and Denmark have concluded that "powerful explosions" had caused "extensive damage" to pipelines bringing gas from Russia to Europe.
The four leaks detected at the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines have caused major environmental concerns as well as compounded issues for Europe's increasingly tight energy supply.
The Nord Stream pipelines were already at the center of political tensions prior to the leaks. Moscow cut natural gas supplies to Europe in a suspected retaliation for sanctions against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
European leaders believe the leaks are the result of sabotage and have said Moscow is to blame.
The Kremlin has, in turn, blamed Washington, saying the US was trying to ensure EU reliance on the US as an energy partner instead of Russia. The administration of US President Joe Biden has categorically denied this claim.
lo/sms (AFP, Reuters)
Swedish Military Conducting New Investigation at Nord Stream Bombing Site
October, 27, 2022
October, 27, 2022
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Two minesweepers from the Swedish Armed Forces arrived at the site of the Nord Stream subsea network to carry out new examinations of the damaged pipes.
The Swedish crime scene investigation was completed some time ago, but the military has now decided that it needs to supplement the material which has already been collected.
“We felt the need for completion, and to do more research,” Swedish Navy spokesman Jimmie Adamsson told the country's media, Sputnik reported.
The Navy said that the ships at the scene of the explosion are the HMS Vinga and the HMS Sturkö.
“Their main job is to search for mines or to go down with submarines. There is no connection to mines in this case - the connection is that they are equipped to carry out work and investigations underwater,” Adamsson said, refusing to comment on previous finds and whether the Swedish military is looking for something in particular.
The investigation is expected to be completed later this week.
In late September, powerful explosions rocked the pipelines of the Nord Stream network, which plays an important role in transporting Russian gas to Europe, with massive leaks of fuel and “unprecedented” damage reported by the operator.
Moscow branded the attack international terrorism, and the European Union and national leaders said that the gas link was sabotaged. The Swedish and Danish authorities also voiced suspicions of sabotage, citing recorded explosions in the area, but both forbade Russia to investigate the attack.
Denmark, Germany and Sweden have all launched separate investigations into the leaks — Denmark and Sweden because the explosions occurred in their economic zones, and Germany because that is where the pipelines terminate. However, they have remained tight-lipped over their findings and conclusions.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russia is working through diplomatic channels to gain access to the investigations on Nord Stream, but has so far come up against a wall of resistance. The spokesman also stressed that the Kremlin has no new data on the subject, since Russia is currently deprived of the opportunity to take part in the investigations.
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the investigation of terrorist attacks can only be considered reliable and objective if Moscow participates in it.
Footage shot off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm by Swedish media earlier this month showed a massive half-meter-wide gash in one of the pipes. Traces of a powerful explosion are also visible on the seabed floor.
Since explosions on the Nord Stream pipeline network, several European nations have tightened security around key infrastructure. Swedish security authorities have urged energy infrastructure operators to up their preparedness and vigilance. And in neighboring Norway, the authorities boosted security at oil and gas installations, deploying the Home Guard.
Recently, it was reported that three German frigates will stay in Norway after NATO drills to protect the Nordic country's oil and gas installations.
Ever since the EU slapped Russian energy with sanctions because of the war in Ukraine, Norway has replaced Russia as the EU's biggest energy supplier, harvesting record revenues and drawing accusations of profiteering and preying on fellow European nations in their hour of need.
The Swedish crime scene investigation was completed some time ago, but the military has now decided that it needs to supplement the material which has already been collected.
“We felt the need for completion, and to do more research,” Swedish Navy spokesman Jimmie Adamsson told the country's media, Sputnik reported.
The Navy said that the ships at the scene of the explosion are the HMS Vinga and the HMS Sturkö.
“Their main job is to search for mines or to go down with submarines. There is no connection to mines in this case - the connection is that they are equipped to carry out work and investigations underwater,” Adamsson said, refusing to comment on previous finds and whether the Swedish military is looking for something in particular.
The investigation is expected to be completed later this week.
In late September, powerful explosions rocked the pipelines of the Nord Stream network, which plays an important role in transporting Russian gas to Europe, with massive leaks of fuel and “unprecedented” damage reported by the operator.
Moscow branded the attack international terrorism, and the European Union and national leaders said that the gas link was sabotaged. The Swedish and Danish authorities also voiced suspicions of sabotage, citing recorded explosions in the area, but both forbade Russia to investigate the attack.
Denmark, Germany and Sweden have all launched separate investigations into the leaks — Denmark and Sweden because the explosions occurred in their economic zones, and Germany because that is where the pipelines terminate. However, they have remained tight-lipped over their findings and conclusions.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russia is working through diplomatic channels to gain access to the investigations on Nord Stream, but has so far come up against a wall of resistance. The spokesman also stressed that the Kremlin has no new data on the subject, since Russia is currently deprived of the opportunity to take part in the investigations.
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the investigation of terrorist attacks can only be considered reliable and objective if Moscow participates in it.
Footage shot off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm by Swedish media earlier this month showed a massive half-meter-wide gash in one of the pipes. Traces of a powerful explosion are also visible on the seabed floor.
Since explosions on the Nord Stream pipeline network, several European nations have tightened security around key infrastructure. Swedish security authorities have urged energy infrastructure operators to up their preparedness and vigilance. And in neighboring Norway, the authorities boosted security at oil and gas installations, deploying the Home Guard.
Recently, it was reported that three German frigates will stay in Norway after NATO drills to protect the Nordic country's oil and gas installations.
Ever since the EU slapped Russian energy with sanctions because of the war in Ukraine, Norway has replaced Russia as the EU's biggest energy supplier, harvesting record revenues and drawing accusations of profiteering and preying on fellow European nations in their hour of need.
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