During work on the Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, German officials provided the Russian gas company Gazprom with sensitive data on NATO submarines in the Baltic Sea, a Polish website has reported, citing German media.

The information was shared by the maritime authority in Germany's Baltic port of Stralsund, according to the interia.pl website.

An investigative panel of German lawmakers found that Gazprom had applied to the Stralsund authorities for "data on the areas of activity of NATO submarines in the Baltic Sea," interia.pl reported, citing Germany's Zeit Online website.

In its request, Gazprom said the information was necessary "for the process of approving the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline," German MPs found, according to interia.pl.

The Russian state gas company was eventually "provided with much more detailed data," the investigative commission said, according to Zeit Online.

Some of the confidential NATO information was also included in the official documents of the assembly of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, interia.pl reported.

The head of the investigative panel, Hannes Damm of the Greens Party, described the findings as "shocking," adding the Stralsund officials "put in danger" the security of Germany and NATO, "to fast-track the consent" for Nord Stream 2, according to interia.pl.

A former senior government official in Berlin told the panel that the Nord Stream 2 project "was forced through despite serious concerns from the security services," interia.pl also reported.

The parliamentary probe focuses on the possible Russian influence over the government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which in 2021 set up a special-purpose foundation to complete the construction of Nord Stream 2, sidestepping US sanctions, interia.pl said.

Gazprom's subsidiary, the Nord Stream 2 company, was the foundation's largest donor, contributing EUR 20 million, according to news outlets.

Nord Stream 2 was completed but has not been launched due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, interia.pl noted.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.

Monday is day 649 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.