German authorities have not maintained any substantive contact with the Russian side regarding the explosions at the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.
The information was shared by Russian Ambassador to Berlin Sergey Nechaev in an interview with TASS published on December 23.
“Chancellor Olaf Scholz considers the Nord Stream pipeline explosions a terrorist attack and demands that those responsible for the incident be brought to justice. However, there has been no progress in the case,” the ambassador said.
"There is no real contact on this issue with the Russian side. How long this will last remains to be seen," the Russian diplomat stressed.
Germany's top prosecutor said in late November that the investigation into sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline was making progress.
"We have succeeded in identifying two suspects. In my opinion, this is a success beyond all expectations," General Prosecutor Jens Rommel told Spiegel.
However, the Nord Stream investigation still has much work to do, Mr. Rommel said.
“The identities of other people involved, the motives behind the crime and especially the possibility of state involvement are under investigation,” he added.
In September 2022, the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline systems were damaged after several explosions were recorded near the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea.
Soon after, four leaks were detected in three of the four lines of the two gas pipelines.
Russian gas was previously delivered to Germany via Nord Stream. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline 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 August, it was reported that German investigators were looking for a Ukrainian suspected of involvement in the incident.
The Nord Stream suspect is believed to have fled Poland to Ukraine and is still at large.
