Russian ship just before Nord Stream explosion near crime scene

Gas leak from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline

There is new evidence that Russia was involved in the blowing up of the Nord Stream pipelines.

(Photo: dpa)

Copenhagen According to the Danish military, a few days before the Nord Stream explosions in the Baltic Sea, a Russian special ship was in the vicinity of the detonation sites. The Danish defense command confirmed to the newspaper “Information” that a patrol ship took 26 pictures of the “SS-750” on September 22, 2022 east of the island of Bornholm.

Four days later, there were several explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines near Bornholm. The authorities assume sabotage. It is unclear who is responsible for this. Investigations are underway in Germany, Denmark and Sweden.

German government politicians warn again and again against hasty conclusions and warn to wait for the end of the investigations. Moscow, on the other hand, blamed the “Anglo-Saxons” – that is, the British and the Americans – shortly after the attack.

In mid-April, “Information” reported that the Danish patrol boat “P524 Nymfen” took a total of 112 photos of Russian ships near the lines on September 22. At the end of March, “t-online” reported, citing information from security circles and publicly available data, that Russian military ships were believed to have operated at the crime scenes a few days before the attacks on the pipelines – including the “SS-750”.

The “SS-750” features a mini-submarine with grabbers. It was designed specifically for underwater operations, said the Swedish researcher and intelligence expert Joakim von Braun to “Information”.

Another expert, Oliver Alexander, was quoted in the report released Thursday evening as saying the ship could theoretically have been in the area for other reasons. “But the timing, to be in this place at this point in time, that’s special,” he said.

In March, the media in Germany, the USA and Great Britain published information about the possible course of events. According to this, a group of six with forged passports is said to have rented a yacht and unnoticed placed the explosive devices in a water depth of a good 80 meters. The media had speculated about the alleged involvement of a pro-Ukrainian group. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Ukraine’s participation as “ridiculous”.

At the end of September, four leaks in the two pipelines from Russia to Germany were discovered after explosions near Bornholm. The Swedish security authorities had determined in November that it had been serious sabotage – but without naming a culprit.

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