Swedish prosecutors have concluded that sabotage caused the Nord Stream explosions, in September.
A statement from the Swedish Prosecution Authority said that crime scene investigations had been carried out in the Baltic Sea.
Analysis has shown traces of explosives on “foreign objects”, it said. Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said the incident was “gross sabotage”.
Work is continuing on the site, the authority said. The investigation is “complex and comprehensive” and will demonstrate whether there is sufficient evidence to charge someone with a crime.
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines sprang simultaneous leaks in the last week of September. Problems were reported in the Danish and Swedish territorial waters.
Sweden has not pointed the finger of blame at anyone, or any state, as yet.
However, on November 11, Ljungqvist and a colleague indicted two men for espionage, accusing them of acting on behalf of Russia. The statement did not make a link to Nord Stream, but it is clear tensions are running high.