Last week, Swedish Public Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist announced the termination of the national probe into the Nord Stream explosions, ruling that the case does not fall under the country's jurisdiction. Stockholm handed materials it had collected with regard to the incidents to Germany for further investigation, he added.
"I expect the federal government to investigate the attack on this pipeline and not leave it to journalists. The time when the pipeline could be mended for further shipments is running out. I believe this is irresponsible," Kretschmer told German newspaper Rheinische Post newspaper.
The Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, built to deliver gas under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, were hit by explosions in September 2022. Nord Stream's operator, Nord Stream AG, said that the damage was unprecedented, and it was impossible to estimate the time repairs might take.
Russia considers the explosions of the two pipelines an act of international terrorism. There are no official results of the investigation yet, but Pulitzer Prize-winning US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published a report in February 2023, alleging that the explosions had been organized by the United States with the support of Norway. Washington has denied any involvement in the incident.
In March 2023, German magazine Der Spiegel disclosed details regarding a yacht allegedly linked to the sabotage on the Nord Stream pipelines. A Bavaria Cruiser 50 sailing yacht named Andromeda was rented by unknown people, with the e-mail used to rent it hinting at connections to Ukraine, the report said.