A new report suggests that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the September 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, despite President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attempting to halt the operation. According to the Wall Street Journal, a group of Ukrainian businessmen financed the operation, which was carried out by a small sabotage team led by a high-ranking Ukrainian general. The explosions, which targeted the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea, significantly disrupted European energy supplies and escalated tensions between Russia and the West.
The report claims that the plan was initially approved by Zelenskyy but later called off after the CIA became aware of it and warned Kyiv to stand down. However, Ukraine’s former top general, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, allegedly ignored Zelenskyy’s order and proceeded with the operation. The sabotage involved a team of six individuals, including Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, who used a rented boat to plant explosives on the pipelines.
The Nord Stream pipelines were critical infrastructure, transporting natural gas from Russia to Germany. The destruction of these pipelines intensified Europe’s energy crisis, which had already been strained by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Initially, various theories emerged regarding the culprits, with some accusing Russia and others pointing fingers at the United States. Investigations by Danish and Swedish authorities, as well as a UN inquiry, failed to conclusively identify those responsible.
Ukraine has consistently denied involvement in the attack, and on Thursday, a spokesperson for Zelenskyy reiterated this position, accusing Russia of being behind the sabotage. Ukrainian officials, including Zaluzhnyi and a senior official from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), also denied the report’s claims, dismissing them as provocations.
The Wall Street Journal’s account is based on information from four unnamed Ukrainian defense officials and ties to an ongoing German police investigation. German authorities are reportedly pursuing a suspect, identified as “Volodymyr Z.,” a Ukrainian diving instructor believed to have been involved in the operation. Despite an arrest warrant, the suspect has evaded capture after crossing into Ukraine from Poland.
The report’s revelations could strain relations between Ukraine and its Western allies, particularly Germany, which has been a strong supporter of Ukraine throughout the war. The allegations, if confirmed, would implicate Ukraine in an act of sabotage against a key piece of European infrastructure.
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