Swedish authorities on Friday confirmed that leaks on seabed gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany were caused by sabotage after traces of explosives were found by investigators. The finding comes after Denmark said last month that the leaks were caused by blasts on the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea. “Analysis that has now been carried out shows traces of explosives on several of the objects that were recovered,” the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement. “The investigation is highly complex and comprehensive. The ongoing probe will determine whether any suspects can be identified.” The blasts have become a point of contention between Western leaders and the Kremlin, with Russia’s defense ministry accusing the British navy of carrying out the attack. The U.K. government responded by saying Russia was trying to divert attention away from its invasion of Ukraine by “peddling false claims of an epic scale.”
