In video: A Ukrainian commando allegedly sabotaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines – Le Temps

It was an investigation by the “Washington Post” and “Spiegel” which revealed this. A Ukrainian special forces commander, Colonel Roman Chervinsky, is believed to have played a key role in the sabotage. According to the two newspapers, he supervised logistics and supervised a team of six people. The latter allegedly rented a sailboat under false identities and used diving equipment to place explosive charges on the pipelines. Roman Tchervinsky would not have acted alone: ​​he would have received his orders from higher-ranking Ukrainian officials. The investigation clearly states that President Zelensky was not aware of the operation.

This took place on September 26, 2022. Three explosions sounded underwater, on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, in the Baltic Sea. The purpose of the pipelines was to deliver Russian gas to Europe.

According to a leak on a Discord server, the CIA knew about the sabotage plan three months before the explosions. It would have received the information from the Dutch secret services as early as June 2022. The agency would have asked Ukraine not to carry out the operation.

The Biden administration initially suggested that Russia was responsible for the sabotage. However, some European countries claimed that it was rather the work of Ukraine. But discreetly, explains the investigation, for fear of weakening the European alliance against Russia.

Ukraine has always denied having played a role. His government did not respond to requests from “Spiegel” and the “Washington Post”. Roman Tchervinsky denies any involvement and denounces a narrative created by “Russian propaganda”. The “Spiegel” specifies that the accusations against Chervinsky must be treated “with caution”.

Ukraine has been denouncing the Nord Stream project for several years. The country sees this as a way for Russia to bypass Ukrainian gas pipelines, thereby depriving kyiv of important transit revenues. Since the sabotage in September 2022, the project would be considered “buried” by Russia. Without Nord Stream, Ukraine remains the crossing point for the main gas pipelines between Europe and Russia.