NEW YORK – Investigators looking into the explosions at the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines have found traces of explosives on a suspicious yacht, a letter updating the UN Security Council on the probe and made available to German news agency (dpa) has revealed.
“Traces of subsea explosives were found in the samples taken from the yacht during the investigation,” read the joint letter dated July 10 from the UN ambassadors from Germany, Denmark and Sweden to the UN Security Council in New York.
It also stated that there is suspicion that the yacht was used to transport the explosives that sabotaged the pipelines. The three representatives said the investigation was ongoing.
“At this point, it is not possible to reliably establish the identity of the perpetrators and their motives, particularly regarding the question of whether the incident was steered by a state or state actor,” the letter said.
Explosions were registered near the Danish island of Bornholm on September 26, 2022. Shortly afterwards, four leaks were discovered on three of the pipelines’ four lines.
Nord Stream 1 and 2 each run as an underwater double line over a distance of around 1,200km from Russia to Germany. Nord Stream 1 has supplied a significant share of the gas imported into Europe since 2011.
Neither pipeline was actually delivering gas at the time of the attack amid an energy stand-off between the European Union and Russia as a result of the Ukraine war.
In Germany, investigators have reportedly focused on a chartered yacht. According to German media reports, the yacht left the northeastern port city of Rostock, and was allegedly rented by a company based in Poland, which belonged to two Ukrainians. – Bernama, July 12, 2023
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