At the end of September 2022, explosions ripped holes in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines.
Karlsruhe – In their investigations into the explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, the federal prosecutor's office had a suspicious ship searched in January.
There is a suspicion that it could have been used to transport explosive devices that exploded on the pipelines on September 26, 2022, a spokeswoman for the Karlsruhe authority said on Wednesday on request.
The evaluation of the seized traces and objects is ongoing.
"The identity of the perpetrators and their motives are the subject of ongoing investigations," it said.
"Reliable statements on this, especially on the question of state control, cannot be made at the moment."
ARD, SWR and the "Zeit" reported on Tuesday evening about the investigators' new findings.
There it was said, citing information from the secret service, that a pro-Ukrainian group could be responsible for the explosions.
Evidence of who commissioned this has not yet been found.
According to these reports, the yacht in question was chartered by a company based in Poland, which "apparently belongs to two Ukrainians".
A team of six, consisting of a captain, two divers, two diving assistants and a doctor, brought the explosives to the crime scenes.
It is unclear what nationalities these people have.
Apparently they used fake passports.
According to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, the search took place from January 18 to 20 "in connection with a suspicious ship rental".
As part of the further investigations, all indications to clarify the facts will be followed up.
There is no suspicion against employees of the German company that rented the ship.
No further information can be given at this time.
At the end of September, a total of four leaks in the two pipelines from Russia to Germany were discovered after explosions near the Danish Baltic Sea island of Bornholm.
The Swedish security authorities determined in November that it was serious sabotage - but without naming a culprit.
dpa
