Nord Stream probe: No toxic fallout, but TNT traces found
The Nord Stream pipeline explosion on the Baltic Sea floor did not result in contamination that threatened humans or the environment. According to RMF FM, the investigation conducted by the National Prosecutor's Office did not reveal any 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 area. Only trace amounts of TNT were detected in three samples.
The prosecutors leading the Polish investigation into this issue have also contacted their colleagues in Sweden and Denmark, asking for their findings regarding the explosion that occurred in September 2022.
Explosion of the Nord Stream pipeline
On September 26, 2022, three out 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 initiation of full-scale war only accelerated the actions of the Ukrainian services.
According to the weekly Der Spiegel, former Ukrainian Security Service officer Roman Czerwiński planned the operation. He developed its details and selected and trained the appropriate people for its execution.
The online edition of Der Spiegel suggests that the saboteurs aimed to severely impact the Russian war economy and cut Moscow off from billions in gas revenues to Europe, viewing the pipelines as a valid military target.
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 criticized 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.
