“Pro-Ukrainian group” will be behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline | The war in Ukraine

The newspaper did not mention in detail what this information was obtained by the American intelligence nor the identity of that Pro-Ukrainian group. However, according to US officials, there is no indication that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was involved in the sabotage.

Information collected by US intelligence indicates that the perpetrators of the sabotage were Opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putinmost likely Ukrainian or Russian nationals, depending on 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. This was rented by a company based in Poland and Apparently owned by two Ukrainianssay weekly Die Zeit as well as public channels ARD and SWR.

And the media continued that a team of six, consisting of five men and a woman, including divers, boarded the ship to transport explosives and dispose of them at the site.

Traces of explosives on a boat

They derive this information from interviews With sources in several countries. Germany, Denmark and Sweden are conducting judicial investigations into the destruction of gas pipelines. however, The nationality of the authors is not clearHe adds Die Zeitexplaining that fake passports were used to rent the boat.

Investigators were able to determine that the commandos set sail from the German port of Rostock on September 6, 2022 and then located the boat near the Danish island of Kristiansau.

Traces of explosives were detected on the cab table from the returning boat Not cleaned write to its owner Die Zeit. Although the leads led to Ukraine, investigators have not yet been able to determine who was responsible weekly operation.

the The New York Times And he adds that the information consulted by the American intelligence does not allow this There is no firm conclusion And Leave open the possibility that the operation was launched covertly by a third party force with ties to the Ukrainian government or its security services..

Ongoing investigations

A spokesman for the German government toldFrance Press agency that the latter was Take note of the article The New York Times She was referred to the ongoing judicial investigation.

” A preliminary investigation is underway in Sweden, so I do not intend to comment on this information. »

On September 26, four massive gas leaks preceded by underwater explosions were detected on gas pipelines connecting Russia with Germany, all in international waters.

Western countries have accused Russia of being responsible for the bombings, adding to the anger directed against Moscow after it launched its offensive in Ukraine. Russia accused Anglo-Saxons to be behind this sabotage.

Since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the two pipelines have been at the center of geopolitical tensions, sparked by Moscow’s decision to cut off gas supplies to Europe in purported retaliation for Western sanctions. Out of service at the time of the events, both gas pipelines contained large amounts of methane.

In a recent article, American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh writes that US Navy divers, with the help of Norway, planted explosives on these gas pipelines in June, causing them to explode three months later. The United States described this information as Totally fake.