Germany raids boat suspected of carrying explosives used in Nord Stream pipeline attack

Gas emanating from a leak on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea on September 27. (Swedish Coastguard/Getty Images)

The German federal prosecutor’s office in January raided a boat suspected of carrying explosives used in the explosions of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in September, according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office.

“The office of the Attorney General of Germany had a ship searched from January 18 to 20, 2023 in connection with a suspicious ship rental,” the statement details.

“The assessment of the traces and objects seized is in progress. The identity of the perpetrators and their motivations are the subject of ongoing investigations,” he said.

Investigations are ongoing and reliable statements cannot yet be released, particularly as to whether any state had control over these plans, he added.

It comes after a media report cited new information that a “pro-Ukrainian group” may have been behind last year’s attack.

“There is no reason to suspect the employees of the German company that leased the vessel,” the office said.

More details in the German public broadcaster’s report: The boat left the Baltic Sea port of Rostock, Germany on September 6, 2022, according to German public broadcaster ARD, citing its own investigation. The ARD report cited unnamed security sources from five countries.

ARD said the boat was carrying six people: a captain, two divers, two assistant divers and a doctor. The nationality of these six people is not known, according to ARD. The broadcaster said the group used professionally forged passports to rent the boat.

A truck delivered the group’s materials to the port beforehand, he added.

ARD said investigators, based on its research, were able to piece together the boat’s route after September 6: it traveled to Wieck, a German municipality east of Rostock, and could also be pinned on the Danish island of Christiansø, northeast of Bornholm.

The boat was – according to ARD – returned in a dirty state and investigators, according to research by broadcasters, were able to find traces of explosives on the cabin table.

The German prosecutors office declined to give further information when asked for further details.

CNN has also approached the port of Rostock and is awaiting a response, but today is a public holiday.

malek

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