Nord Stream leaks confirmed as sabotage, Sweden says - Reuters

STOCKHOLM, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Investigators person recovered traces of explosives astatine the tract of the damaged Nord Stream state pipelines, confirming sabotage had taken place, a Swedish authoritative said connected Friday.

Swedish and Danish authorities are investigating 4 holes successful the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines which nexus Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea and person go a flashpoint successful the Ukraine situation arsenic state supplies successful Europe tally short.

Denmark past period said a preliminary probe had shown that the leaks were caused by almighty explosions.

"Analysis that has present been carried retired shows traces of explosives connected respective of the objects that were recovered," the Swedish Prosecution Authority said successful a statement, adding that the findings found the incidental arsenic "gross sabotage".

It said the continued probe would find whether it would beryllium imaginable to place those responsible.

Cooperation with authorities successful Sweden arsenic good arsenic successful different countries was going precise well, pb authoritative Mats Ljungqvist said.

The prosecutor's bureau declined to springiness further comment, including connected which explosives were believed to person been utilized to harm the pipelines.

Russia volition hold until a afloat harm appraisal is done earlier deciding connected repairs, if any, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said connected Friday.

"The precise information that information has already begun to travel in, successful favour of confirming a subversive enactment oregon a violent act... erstwhile again confirms the accusation that the Russian broadside has," Peskov told his regular telephone with reporters.

"It is precise important not to stop, it is precise important to find the 1 down this explosion."

Neither Gazprom (GAZP.MM), nor the Nord Stream 1 and 2 replied to Reuters requests for comment.

Seismologists successful Denmark and Sweden antecedently said they had registered tremors successful the contiguous vicinity of the leaks and that the signals did not lucifer those from earthquakes.

Danish constabulary declined to remark connected the Swedish findings.

The Sept. 26 ruptures of the seabed pipelines, spewing state into the water that bubbled to the surface successful the week that followed, triggered warnings of nationalist hazard and fears of biology damage.

A conception measuring astatine slightest 50 metres (164 feet) is missing from Nord Stream 1, Swedish regular Expressen reported connected Oct. 18 aft filming what it said were the archetypal publically released images of the damage.

Russia's defence ministry last period said that British navy unit blew up the pipelines, a assertion that London said was mendacious and designed to distract from Russian subject failures successful Ukraine.

Reporting by Anna Ringstrom and Johan Ahlander successful Stockholm, Terje Solsvik successful Oslo and Nikolaj Skydsgaard successful Copenhagen, editing by Elaine Hardcastle

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