The Kremlin yesterday criticized the closure of a Danish investigation into explosions on the Russian Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, expressing “absolute surprise” at what it considered an absurd decision.
“The situation in this case is so obvious that we cannot express anything other than absolute surprise,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said at his daily press conference.
Danish authorities yesterday announced the closure of the investigation into the sabotage of the Russian Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, which took place in September 2022, due to a lack of legal basis to open a criminal case. “The investigation led authorities to conclude that there was deliberate sabotage of the gas pipelines.
However, there is no sufficient basis to pursue criminal proceedings in Denmark,” said a joint statement from the Danish Police and Information Services (PET).
The spokesman for the Russian Presidency noted that “undoubtedly, the situation borders on absurdity”. “On the one hand, they recognize that this is deliberate sabotage and on the other, they decide not to continue” the investigation, Peskov stressed.
The Russian spokesperson added that “taking into account several leaks of information and a whole set of facts that emerged during the investigation, it is clear that everything is quite clear: the investigations pointed to the involvement of its closest allies”.
“At the beginning of the investigation we approached the Danes on several occasions with requests for information regarding what happened and they denied our requests.
We might not participate in the investigation, nor might we receive any information now,” he said.
However, Peskov added that Russia will continue to monitor the situation and look for ways to gather information regarding the sabotage.
At the beginning of February, Sweden also closed investigations into this sabotage “due to lack of jurisdiction”, without identifying those responsible.
The Swedish prosecutor stressed that “the German investigation continues and due to the secrecy that prevails in international legal cooperation”, he might not “comment further on the cooperation that took place” between the countries.
Russia rejected this decision and noted that its aim is “to hide the real circumstances and evidence of what happened, so that the real masterminds and executors of this unprecedented terrorist attack are not established”.
Moscow accused “Anglo-Saxon” countries of being behind the sabotage, also recalling Washington’s opposition to the gas pipeline project for years, while some Western countries accused Russia of the incident.
An investigation by American journalist Seymour Hersh pointed to US intelligence services, with the collaboration of Norway and other Western countries.
Media outlets from the United States and Germany later named a pro-Ukrainian group as the perpetrator of the sabotage.
Four huge gas leaks preceded by underwater explosions occurred on September 26, 2022, a few hours apart, in Nord Stream 1 and 2, gas pipelines that connect Russia to Germany and transport most of Russia’s gas to Europe.
The attacks occurred as Europe was turning away from Russian energy sources following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, contributing to tensions that followed the start of war on Ukrainian territory in February 2022.
