The document was originally obtained by Tagesschau's affiliated networks, WDR and NDR.
According to the letter, Federal Police President Dieter Romann last week filed a request to the Bundeswehr for administrative support "to assist in producing a situational report on the damage to the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea." The request was approved after the Federal Ministry of Defense "determined the available capacities of the navy and legally examined them."
According to the news service, the federal police are investigating the explosions with the help of divers and special technology. Two Bundeswehr vessels have also been deployed to the Baltic Sea.
Tagesschau noted that two ships of the German navy, minesweeper "Dillingen" and multi-purpose vessel "Mittelgrund," sailed from their respective bases in the cities of Kiel and Eckernforde to the pipelines on Friday. The vessels were carrying divers from the federal police who had been tasked with taking photos of breaches in the pipelines.
German Attorney General is considering starting criminal investigations over the acts of sabotage on the Nord Stream pipelines, Tagesschau reported, citing Justice Minister Marco Buschmann.
Nord Stream pipelines, which runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, suffered fuel leaks and rapid pressure drop on September 26, with Sweden and Denmark registering explosions in the area. The operator company Nord Stream AG later said that the damage to the pipeline system is unprecedented. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that it was a deliberate assault on European energy infrastructure, hinting that the US and Britain are responsible for the blasts. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has been investigating the incidents as acts of international terrorism.
At the same time, Moscow launched an investigation into the terror attack, also noting that the decision by Denmark and Sweden not to cooperate with Russia in their probe caused major concerns. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, emphasized that Copenhagen's unwillingness to involve Russia in the investigation of the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream pipelines may indicate that Copenhagen knows who the perpetrator is.