At least two Ukrainians blew up Nord Stream pipelines: German media

At least two Ukrainians might be responsible for the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline explosion that took place in September last year, according to Germany’s Suddeutsche Zeitung daily.

The report claims that Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office found the company that chartered the Andromeda yacht, allegedly used by the suspects of the Nord Stream blasts to reach the site. It said the Polish company named Feeria Lwowa was a sham company, set up in 2016 and registered by two Ukrainians.

The travel agency had reportedly sent a mail regarding the yacht to Germany’s Mola Yachting headquartered on Rugen island.

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The company did not have anything extraordinary about it but in 2020, during the peak of the pandemic, it managed to suddenly earn 2.8 million euros. Currently, the company is owned by a middle-aged woman from Kerch, with her Ukrainian passport being recorded in the Polish company’s documents. Moreover, a 55-year-old Ukrainian woman is the company's director and stakeholder since September 2021.

Germanintelligences refuses to name anyone

After the report was released, President of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) Bruno Kahl said no intelligence is currently able to name those responsible for the blasts,

"No country, no intelligence agency in the world is currently able to attribute this (the Nord Streams sabotage) to anyone in particular," he said, "Maybe this will change, there are some notable successes in the investigation."

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US media's version of the explosions

However, the findings by the German newspaper are along the same lines as US media. In March, New York Times carried out a report wherein it was stated that a pro-Ukrainian group was responsible for exploding the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines.

"New intelligence reporting amounts to the first significant known lead about who was responsible for the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines that carried natural gas from Russia to Europe," reported the publication.

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Nord Stream pipelines

The two explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines last year were followed by unexplained gas leaks. According to a Danish-Swedish investigation, the four breaches impacting the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea were brought on by underwater explosions equivalent to hundreds of kilogrammes of explosives.

Denmark and Sweden have maintained that the attacks could not have been carried out without state-sponsored help - subtly hinting at Moscow.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putincalled such allegations a ploy by the West after its sanctions did not affect Moscow.

"Sanctions are not enough for the West, they have switched to sabotage. Unbelievable, but it is a fact!," Putin stated during a live speech at a Kremlin ceremony last year.

Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2pipelinesstretch 760 miles fromthe Russian northwest coastto Lubmin in northeast Germany. The first was completed in 2011 and cost more than $12 billion to build while Nord Stream 2 cost slightly less and was completed in 2021 despite backlash from the US, UK and Ukraine amongst others.

Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of the claims made by the German newspaper.

(With inputs from agencies)

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