Nord Stream blast: Investigation finds no toxic threat
The explosion of the Nord Stream pipeline on the Baltic Sea floor did not lead to any contamination threatening humans or the environment. According to RMF FM, the investigation conducted by the National Prosecutor's Office revealed no toxic chemical agents in the water samples and seabed sediment.
The analysis results conducted by experts from the Military University of Technology in Warsaw confirmed the absence of chemical weapons residues in the samples taken from the explosion site. Only trace amounts of TNT were detected in three samples.
The prosecutors leading the Polish investigation into this incident have also contacted their counterparts in Sweden and Denmark, requesting they share their findings regarding the explosion that took place in September 2022.
Explosion of the Nord Stream pipeline
On 26th September 2022, three of the four strands of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were destroyed at a depth of approximately 80 metres.
Preparations began several years before Russia's invasion in February 2022. The start of the full-scale war only accelerated the actions of the Ukrainian services.
According to the weekly Der Spiegel, the operation was planned by former Ukrainian Security Service officer Roman Czerwiński. He developed the details and selected and trained the appropriate individuals for its execution.
The online edition of Der Spiegel reports that the saboteurs aimed to significantly disrupt the Russian war economy and eliminate billions in gas revenue for Moscow from European sales, regarding the pipelines as a lawful military objective.
Much of Russia's natural gas to Germany was delivered directly through Nord Stream 1 for years. Many Eastern and Western European countries have repeatedly criticised the project and warned about the geopolitical consequences of bypassing Eastern Europe in raw material transit.
During Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Moscow suspended supplies even before Nord Stream 1 was destroyed. Meanwhile, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline ultimately was not put into operation due to the Russian invasion.
