Anonymous Ukrainians: This is how we blew up Nord Stream

Updated:

Published:

Anonymous Ukrainians: This is how we blew up Nord Stream
Photo: Kustbevakningen via TT

The Ukrainian government denies involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. A Ukrainian group has taken responsibility for the act and claims that Zelensky initially approved the plans – but then tried to stop them. The government calls the allegations "absolute nonsense".

The idea to blow up the gas pipeline so important to Russia is said to have originated when a group of high-ranking Ukrainian military officers and businessmen celebrated Ukraine's initial successes in the war in May 2022.

About four months later, six people allegedly set out on the Baltic Sea with the sailing vessel "Andromeda" to place explosive charges on the seabed.

I always laugh when I read media speculations about some big operation involving security services, submarines, drones, and satellites, says a Ukrainian officer to the Wall Street Journal.

Said to be too late

The American newspaper has spoken to several people who are all anonymous in the article. They claim to have been involved in the sabotage in late September 2022, or in the planning of it. Their stories match known parts of the police investigation taking place in Germany.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj initially gave the green light for the deed, but then changed his mind when the plans were revealed. They are said to have been intercepted by the Dutch intelligence service, which in turn alerted the American CIA.

The Americans allegedly pressured Zelenskyj to back down. The Ukrainian president is said to have given then-army chief Valerij Zaluzjnyj – who is claimed to have had a leading role – orders to stop the plan. But Zaluzjnyj claimed it was too late.

Ukraine's government, intelligence service, and the individuals involved deny the allegations.

That Ukraine would be involved in the Nord Stream explosions is absolute nonsense, says Mychajlo Podoljak, an adviser to President Zelenskyj, to AFP on Thursday.

Traces on the boat

German investigators later identified "Andromeda" as the perpetrators' vessel. On board, they found explosives, fingerprints, and DNA.

On Wednesday, German authorities announced that three Ukrainian citizens are formally suspected of involvement in the sabotage.

Swedish and Danish investigations were dropped in February this year, citing a lack of jurisdiction.

In the days leading up to the explosions at the Nord Stream pipelines, on the seabed off the Danish island of Bornholm, "Andromeda" made stops at several harbors around the Baltic Sea and made an unplanned visit to the Swedish island of Sandhamn due to bad weather.

The Ukrainians who spoke to WSJ say that one of the divers dropped an explosive charge in the sea during the stop in Sweden, but do not elaborate further in the article.

In late September 2022, four leaks were discovered on the gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2, which run from Russia to Germany along the Baltic Sea floor.

Two of the leaks were in the Swedish economic zone, northeast of Bornholm, and two in the Danish economic zone, southeast of Bornholm. A country's economic zone is not the same as its territorial waters.

Seismic measurements showed that explosions had occurred in the sea before the leaks were discovered, and about two months later, the Swedish prosecutor confirmed that the pipelines had been subjected to deliberate explosions.

Tags

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

More news

Trump Sets Sunday Deadline for Hamas Ceasefire Agreement

Trump Sets Sunday Deadline for Hamas Ceasefire Agreement

Trump Halts $2.1 Billion Infrastructure Project in Chicago

Trump Halts $2.1 Billion Infrastructure Project in Chicago

Police May Have Accidentally Shot Victim in Manchester Synagogue Attack

Police May Have Accidentally Shot Victim in Manchester Synagogue Attack

Russian Drone Attack Kills 13,000 Pigs in Ukraine Farm Fire

Russian Drone Attack Kills 13,000 Pigs in Ukraine Farm Fire

Russia Launches Largest Attack on Ukraine's Gas Infrastructure

Russia Launches Largest Attack on Ukraine's Gas Infrastructure

Hamas Seeks More Time to Respond to Israel's Peace Proposal

Hamas Seeks More Time to Respond to Israel's Peace Proposal

Anglican Church Appoints First Female Archbishop of Canterbury

Anglican Church Appoints First Female Archbishop of Canterbury

Luxembourg Welcomes New Grand Duke Guillaume

Luxembourg Welcomes New Grand Duke Guillaume

Swedish Activists, Including Greta Thunberg, Imprisoned and on Hunger Strike

Swedish Activists, Including Greta Thunberg, Imprisoned and on Hunger Strike

Danish and Norwegian F-35 Jets Bolster NATO's Eastern Defense

Danish and Norwegian F-35 Jets Bolster NATO's Eastern Defense

Israel Criticizes UK for Failing to Curb Anti-Semitic Incitement

Israel Criticizes UK for Failing to Curb Anti-Semitic Incitement

Suspected Russian Shadow Vessel Boracay Continues Journey After Arrest

Suspected Russian Shadow Vessel Boracay Continues Journey After Arrest

Denmark Accuses Russia of Hybrid Warfare Amid Rising Drone Incidents

Denmark Accuses Russia of Hybrid Warfare Amid Rising Drone Incidents

Helsinki Court Acquits Eagle S Crew in Gulf of Finland Cable Case

Helsinki Court Acquits Eagle S Crew in Gulf of Finland Cable Case

Over 50 Dead as Typhoon Bualoi Hits Vietnam

Over 50 Dead as Typhoon Bualoi Hits Vietnam

Missing Norwegian Soldiers Located Safe After Navigation Error

Missing Norwegian Soldiers Located Safe After Navigation Error

Moroccan Protests Persist Despite Fatalities and Rising Tensions

Moroccan Protests Persist Despite Fatalities and Rising Tensions

Trump's Military Speech Sparks Concerns Over US Trustworthiness

Trump's Military Speech Sparks Concerns Over US Trustworthiness

Czech Republic Votes: Ex-PM Babis Eyes Return with Far-Right Alliance

Czech Republic Votes: Ex-PM Babis Eyes Return with Far-Right Alliance

Over 200 Protesters Arrested at The Hague Train Station

Over 200 Protesters Arrested at The Hague Train Station