The Ukrainian government denies involvement in the explosions on the Baltic Sea pipelines.
(Photo: Reuters)
Berlin, Dusseldorf The blasting of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 Baltic Sea pipelines at the end of September 2022 was a mystery for a long time. Now a trail has opened up: According to media reports, pro-Ukrainian saboteurs are said to be responsible for the destruction.
It has long been considered certain that the leaks in the pipelines were caused by explosions, but numerous questions remain unanswered. What is known and what is not – an overview.
What is already known?
The new findings on the pro-Ukrainian saboteurs became public on Tuesday and can be traced back to US government officials. However, there is no evidence that the government in Kiev was involved in the planning.
After joint research by ARD, SWR and “Zeit”, German investigative authorities were able to identify a yacht that was apparently used for the secret operation. The boat is said to have been rented by a Polish-based company owned by two Ukrainians.
Accordingly, the crew consisted of a captain, two divers, two diving assistants and a doctor, who are said to have transported the explosives to the crime scenes and placed them there. The nationality of the perpetrators is unclear.
As the federal prosecutor confirmed on Wednesday, investigators searched a suspicious ship that is said to be connected to the explosions as part of the investigation in January. There is a suspicion that the ship could have been used to transport explosives. It is unclear whether it is the ship described in the research.
What is still unknown?
It is not certain who ordered the destruction. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office stated that it was not yet able to make any reliable statements about the perpetrators, motives or backgrounds.
What do the federal government and NATO say?
Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) warned on Wednesday against hasty conclusions. According to experts, the sabotage could also have been a so-called false flag operation, he said in Stockholm on Wednesday. This means that the perpetrators could have intentionally laid false tracks that point to other authors.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also sees a need for clarification on who is responsible for blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Investigations were still ongoing. It is “right to wait until these are completed before we say more about who is behind it”.
How is Ukraine reacting?
The advisor in the Ukrainian presidential office, Mykhailo Podoliak, firmly denied any involvement by Ukraine. The government in Kiev has nothing to do with the attack in the Baltic Sea and no information about pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups, he tweeted.
In the environment of secret services, however, it was said recently that such an attack would hardly be possible without state support. A considerable amount of explosives is required for the detonations, as can be seen from the damage to the seabed.
What are the implications of the discoveries?
Shortly after the explosion, NATO released a statement expressing its “deep concern” about the incident. At that time, there was more speculation about Russian authorship. NATO said at the time that any deliberate attack on the alliance partners’ critical infrastructure would be “responsed with a joint and resolute response.”
The Nord Stream pipelines were co-financed by European companies and were considered a central element of Germany’s energy supply until the start of the Ukraine war. If it is confirmed that pro-Ukrainian forces carried out the attack, this could lead to considerable tensions in the western alliance.
Federal Defense Minister Pistorius did not want to speculate on Wednesday about what it would mean for German support for Ukraine if Ukrainian authorities were involved. “I would like to answer such a question if I know something reliable,” said Pistorius. “Everything else is hypothesis.”
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