The German Prosecutor General's Office has made progress in the investigation into the explosions at the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, including identifying two suspects, Federal Prosecutor General Jens Rommel said.
“Yes, we are conducting an investigation into acts of sabotage at the Nord Stream pipeline. We have identified two suspects,” Rommel confirmed in an interview with Der Spiegel magazine.
"We have succeeded in identifying two suspects. In my opinion, this is a success that was not expected from the beginning," Germany's top prosecutor pointed out.
Prosecutor General Jens Rommel said there was still much work to be done in the Nord Stream investigation. The German federal prosecutor added that the identification of other suspects, the motive for the crime and especially the question of whether a state was involved in the Nord Stream sabotage were still being investigated.
Commenting on the possible involvement of Ukraine and the purpose of the Nord Stream sabotage, Mr. Rommel noted that the investigation is based on the fact that there was damage to gas pipelines important to Germany's gas supply.
“This is a major attack on our country's energy supply, which has the potential to destabilize the local economy and society regardless of political faction,” he pointed out.
In September 2022, two gas pipelines, Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2, were damaged by several explosions in the Baltic Sea recorded near the Danish island of Bornholm.
Shortly thereafter, four leaks were detected on two lines of the Nord Stream pipeline and one line of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
Russian gas was previously shipped to Germany via Nord Stream. Nord Stream 2 has yet to become operational due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict that broke out in February 2022 and subsequent political tensions.
There has been much speculation about the culprit and mastermind behind the Nord Stream sabotage. In mid-August, Germany was reported to be searching for a Ukrainian suspected of involvement in the sabotage. The Nord Stream suspect was determined to have left Poland for Ukraine and has not yet been arrested.
