Media: Six explosive devices used in Nord Stream sabotage, documents reveal PHOTO

At least six explosive devices were used in the sabotage of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, according to reports from the German newspaper Die Welt, citing judicial documents from the Nord Stream AG insurance case.

The documents suggest that these devices were placed across four sections of the pipelines, Caliber.Az reports.

Swedish experts discovered previously unknown damage sites on the pipelines, which indicated the presence of more explosive devices than originally believed. Prior to these revelations, it was assumed that only four bombs had been used in the attack.

The new information significantly alters the understanding of the scale and sophistication of the sabotage operation that targeted one of Europe's most important energy infrastructure systems.

Notably, on September 26, 2022, a series of underwater explosions ruptured three of the four pipelines that form part of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 networks, releasing large volumes of gas into the Baltic Sea near Bornholm, Denmark.

Russian energy firm Gazprom had already halted gas flows through Nord Stream 1, the primary pipeline supplying Russian natural gas to Germany, a month earlier due to tensions over the ongoing war in Ukraine. The newly completed Nord Stream 2, a twin pipeline system, had never been operational, as Berlin withdrew its support for the project just days before Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

The €10 billion Nord Stream 2 had faced strong opposition from Ukraine, the United States, and several Eastern European nations, who feared it would increase Russia’s leverage over Germany’s energy security. The explosions occurred in the economic zones of both Sweden and Denmark, prompting investigations by the authorities in both countries. So far, they have confirmed that the blasts were deliberate, but have not identified the perpetrators.

Germany has also launched its own investigation, with federal prosecutors conducting a search of a yacht in January that may have been used to transport explosives. The authorities seized various items from the vessel and discovered traces of explosives.

However, they have declined to comment on media reports suggesting that a group consisting of five men and one woman chartered the Andromeda yacht from Rostock port to carry out the attack.

“The identity of the perpetrators and their motives” remains under investigation, a spokesperson for Germany’s prosecution office said.

The silence surrounding these investigations is not surprising, according to analysts, given the potential diplomatic ramifications of any revelations.

The sonar image shows the previously unknown damage site on the B-tube of Nord Stream 2

By Aghakazim Guliyev