Russia Complains to Germany Over Nord Stream Investigations

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has formally complained to Germany regarding its investigation into the 2022 explosions that ruptured the Nord Stream gas pipelines, according to the RIA state news agency on Monday. This follows an incident where a key suspect escaped arrest in Poland.

German media reported last week that prosecutors in Germany identified a Ukrainian diving instructor as a suspect in the Nord Stream sabotage and issued an arrest warrant for him in Poland. However, Polish prosecutors informed Reuters that while Poland received the warrant, the suspect had already left the country since Germany did not include his name in a wanted persons database.

Moscow fears that the German investigation may conclude without identifying those responsible. Oleg Tyapkin, the head of the European department at the Russian foreign ministry, stated that they have raised concerns about Germany and other affected countries fulfilling their obligations under U.N. anti-terrorist conventions. He mentioned that Russia has formally claimed this matter in bilateral discussions, including with Berlin.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later communicated with Izvestia, asserting that Germany must respond to all questions related to the incident. However, Germany’s prosecutor general declined to comment on the report by RIA when contacted by Reuters, while a spokesperson for the German foreign ministry dismissed the complaint, affirming that they are in communication with Russian authorities without disclosing details about the ongoing investigation.

The multi-billion dollar Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which transport gas under the Baltic Sea, were affected by a series of blasts in September 2022, approximately seven months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. To date, no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Russia has continuously asserted that the attack was orchestrated by the United States and Britain, both of which have denied these allegations. Lavrov, without presenting any solid proof, claimed that it was ultimately Washington that ordered the destruction of the pipelines.

Several major news outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, have reported suspicions that Ukraine, which denies any involvement, was behind the attack.

Lavrov contended that such reports aim to distract the public from the actual perpetrators of the “terrorist act,” expressing disappointment that Germany is seemingly accepting a loss of a stable and affordable gas supply from Russia, which has historically underpinned its energy and economic prosperity for decades.