Kyiv denies being behind the sabotage of Nord Stream gas pipelines
Ukrainian authorities have denied any involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines. The New York Times An article published on Tuesday attributed the sabotage to a “pro-Ukrainian group”.
Gas leak in Denmark.
AFP
Kyiv on Wednesday denied any involvement in last year’s sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. The New York Times According to information received by US intelligence, it was a “pro-Ukrainian group”.
Data collected by US intelligence suggests that the perpetrators behind the sabotage of the two gas pipelines were “enemies of Russian President Vladimir Putin”. The New York Times.
A significant amount of methane was released
The two pipelines have been at the center of geopolitical tensions since Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and Moscow’s decision to cut off gas supplies to Europe in retaliation for Western sanctions. On September 26, 2022, four major gas leaks were detected before underwater explosions in gas pipelines connecting Russia to Germany, all in international waters. At the time of the events, both gas pipelines contained significant amounts of methane.
A “pro-Ukrainian group” was behind the sabotage, the New York Times believes, based on information consulted by US intelligence, although it did not provide details about these elements or the identity of this “pro-Ukrainian group”. However, Kyiv has formally denied these allegations.
“Although I love to collect funny conspiracy theories about the Ukrainian government, I have to say that the Baltic Sea crash has nothing to do with Ukraine and no information about pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups,” tweeted Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to President Volodymyr. Zelensky. According to US officials, there is no indication that the Ukrainian president was involved in the sabotage.
Traces of explosives on board
After the West launched an offensive in Ukraine, anger was directed at Moscow, blaming Russia for the bombings. German media reported on Tuesday that the boat used in the sabotage had been identified in a criminal investigation. It was rented by a company in Poland “apparently owned by two Ukrainians,” said weekly Die Zeit and public channels ARD and SWR.
Media believe a six-person crew, including divers, five men and one woman, boarded the ship to carry and remove explosives from the site. They get this information from interviews with “sources in multiple countries.” Judicial investigations into the destruction of gas pipelines are underway by Germany, Denmark and Sweden. However, “the nationality of the perpetrators is unclear,” adds Die Zeit, noting that false passports were used to charter the boat.
Investigators were able to determine that the commando left the German port of Rostock on September 6, 2022, and later found the boat near the Danish island of Kristiansoo.
Traces of explosives were found on the boat’s “cabin table,” which was returned to its owner “uncleaned,” Die Zeit writes. “Even though the leads lead to Ukraine, investigators have yet to determine who orchestrated the operation,” the weekly underlines.
The New York Times adds that the information seen by US intelligence “does not allow for definitive conclusions” and “leaves open the possibility that the operation was secretly launched by a third-party force with connections within the Ukrainian government or its security services.” A German government spokesman told AFP it had “taken note” of the New York Times article.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson told reporters on Tuesday that a preliminary investigation was underway in Sweden and that he did not want to comment on the information. Russia blamed “Anglo-Saxons” for the sabotage. In a recent article, American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh reported that US Navy divers with the help of Norway allegedly planted explosives in these gas pipelines in June, prompting them to explode three months later. The US called the information “absolutely false”.
AFP
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