(Washington) A “pro-Ukrainian group” is believed to be behind last year’s sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. The New York Times Based on information seen by US intelligence.
The newspaper did not elaborate on what this information was accessed by US intelligence, or the identity of this “pro-Ukrainian group”.
However, according to US officials, there is no indication that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was involved in the sabotage.
According to information gathered by US intelligence, the perpetrators behind the sabotage were “enemies of Russian President Vladimir Putin”, Ukrainian or Russian nationals. The New York Times.
In a separate article, German media said on Tuesday that a criminal investigation had identified the boat used in the sabotage. It was rented by a company based in Poland and “apparently owned by two Ukrainians,” the weekly said. Die Zeit as well as public channels ARD and SWR.
A team of six, including five men and one woman and divers, boarded the vessel to transport and remove the explosives at the site, the media continued.
They get this information from interviews with “sources in multiple countries.” Judicial investigations into the destruction of gas pipelines are carried out by Germany, Denmark and Sweden.
However, “the nationality of the culprits remains unclear,” Die Zeit added, noting that false passports were used to charter the boat.
Traces of explosives
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 are still unable to determine who orchestrated the operation,” the weekly underlines.
The times Information consulted by US intelligence does not allow “any firm conclusions” and “leaves open the possibility that the operation was covertly 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.
On September 26, four major gas leaks were detected in gas pipelines connecting Russia to Germany, all in international waters, preceded by underwater explosions.
After the West launched an offensive in Ukraine, anger was directed at Moscow, blaming Russia for the bombings. Russia has accused “Anglo-Saxons” of being behind the sabotage.
The two pipelines have been at the center of geopolitical tensions since Moscow invaded Ukraine and Moscow decided to cut gas supplies to Europe in retaliation for Western sanctions.
Out of service at the time of the events, both gas pipelines contained significant amounts of methane.
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”.
