German authorities raided properties Wednesday as part of an investigation into a suspected attempt to sabotage the country's gas supply, linked to a 2022 maneuver by Gazprom's former German unit.
The investigation highlights ongoing concerns about Russian efforts to disrupt European energy supplies following the invasion of Ukraine, underscoring Germany's efforts to secure its energy independence.
German prosecutors carried out raids Wednesday in an investigation into a suspected attempt to disrupt the country's gas supply, linked to a maneuver in 2022 involving the former German unit of Russian energy giant Gazprom. Police searched the premises of a suspect, a Russian citizen, and an unidentified company in Frankfurt, though no arrests were made.
The suspect is being investigated on suspicion of being an accessory to violating investment rules in Germany’s foreign trade law and an accessory to attempted anticonstitutional sabotage. Prosecutors believe the sale of the unit to a Moscow-based company and its attempted liquidation were intended to disrupt Germany's gas supply.
In 2022, shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Gazprom's German unit was placed under the control of a German government agency to prevent its liquidation. The German government stated the unit was of "paramount significance" to natural gas trade, transport, and storage, and later nationalized it, renaming it Securing Energy for Europe.