Denmark ends Nord Stream blast investigation but concludes deliberate sabotage at play

Denmark on Monday said it had dropped its investigation into the explosions in 2022 on the Nord Stream pipelines carrying Russian gas to Germany, becoming the second nation to do so after Sweden also closed a separate probe, Reuters reports.

The multi-billion dollar Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines transporting gas under the Baltic Sea were ruptured by a series of blasts in the Swedish and Danish economic zones in September 2022, releasing vast amounts of methane into the air.

Russia and the West, at loggerheads over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February that year, have pointed fingers at one another. Each has denied any involvement and no one has taken responsibility.

“There is not sufficient grounds to pursue a criminal case in Denmark … and therefore the Copenhagen Police has decided to conclude the criminal investigation of the explosions,” Denmark’s police said in a statement.

Police added that they believe there was deliberate sabotage of the gas lines.

Sweden earlier this month dropped its investigation into the explosions saying it lacked jurisdiction in the case but had handed evidence uncovered over to German investigators, which are yet to publish any findings.

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