Ukrainian group planned Nord Stream sabotage years before Crimea
The attack on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea was planned by a "Ukrainian group" even before Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. This information was conveyed by the newspaper "Welt am Sonntag," citing sources from the German investigation and data from international inquiries.
Let us recall that the explosions of Nord Stream 1 and the unfinished Nord Stream 2 occurred on 26 September 2022 in the Baltic Sea. Denmark and Sweden, which conducted explanatory actions in this matter, have closed their investigations. German law enforcement agencies are continuing their investigation.
According to information from "Welt am Sonntag," at the centre of the German investigation is a sailing yacht named "Andromeda", which was chartered in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania at the time of the attack. The investigation revealed new evidence confirming the suspicions that the yacht’s crew was involved in the attack.
"Welt am Sonntag" does not provide details of the attack on the pipelines' planning. At the same time, according to Gerhard Schindler, who headed the German intelligence service from 2011-2016, the investigation results indicating the involvement of a Ukrainian group do not mean that Ukraine ordered the attack.
In his opinion, the Russian side was capable of carrying out a "false flag" operation, and the traces left by the yacht’s crew could have been intentionally left behind.
Poland involved in the attack on nord stream?
A week before the explosions, the yacht was in Kołobrzeg. It was reported that the Polish side has not yet provided the German investigators with video recordings taken during the inspection of the yacht. The newspaper suggests the possible presence of American and Polish agents in the footage as a reason.
"Welt am Sonntag" mentions that in 2014 Nord Stream 1 had already been operational for over two years and plans were underway to build Nord Stream 2.
In November 2023, "The Washington Post," citing Ukrainian and European officials, wrote that the sabotage was coordinated by 48-year-old Ukrainian Colonel Roman Czerwiński. He is in pre-trial detention in Kyiv on charges of abuse of power and denies his involvement in the explosions.
