German authorities search sites over winding down German Gazprom unit

BERLIN, June 24 (Reuters) - German federal prosecutors said on Wednesday that searches were carried out on suspicion of attempted sabotage in connection with the 2022 winding-up of Gazprom's German unit.

"There are suspicions that the sale and liquidation were intended to disrupt the gas supply in Germany," the prosecutors said in a statement.

Gazprom did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and amid fears that Moscow would use energy as a weapon against Germany, Berlin sought to cut its dependence on Russian gas.

In March 2022, Gazprom Germania held at least 25% of Germany’s gas storage capacity, prosecutors said.

Berlin-based Gazprom Germania was effectively separated from its Russian parent group by its shareholders, they added.

"A Moscow-based company with no connection to the industry emerged as the new owner. Immediately following the sale, the new owner ordered the liquidation of Gazprom Germania GmbH," according to the statement.

They added that a Russian national has been charged with assisting the implementation of the liquidation resolution with the aim of disrupting German gas supply.

The German government eventually took Gazprom Germania into provisional trusteeship, effectively controlling the company and its storage sites.

(Reporting by Thomas Seythal, additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, editing by Madeline Chambers)