Zelensky approved plans to sabotage Nord Stream pipelines: Report

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky initially approved the plans to sabotage the Nord Stream and Nord Stream-2 pipelines but later attempted to cancel them after the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) found out about it, a report in the newspaper Wall Street Journal has claimed, citing sources.

The possibility of sabotaging the pipelines was first discussed by Ukrainian officials in May 2022. A handful of businessmen and military officers had gathered to cheer Kyiv on briefly the Russian invasion. On the evening filled with booze, a pact was made under which the businessmen would provide financial help while the military would execute the task of the ultimate sabotage.

The initial plan involved a small yacht and small divers, including a woman, so as to give the illusion of a small friendly cruise. However, after the CIAcaught whiff of the plans, Zelensky cancelled the operation at the request of the agency.

A few months later,former top Ukrainian military commander Valery Zaluzhny ignored Zelensky's order and chalked a new plan.Zaluzhny involved Roman Chervinsky, an ex-officer of Ukraine’s main security and intelligence service to undertake the operation.

A small sailing boat and a team of six members (duty soldiers and civilians with maritime experience) were involved in blowing up the natural gas pipelines. In September, a 50-foot yacht was rented in the German port town of Rostock.

The four divers worked in pairs and operating in the dark, icy waters, planted apowerful explosive known asHMX that was wired to timer-controlled detonators.

Notably, upon being pulled by Zelensky for undermining his authority,Zaluzhniysaid that the sabotage team, once dispatched, wentincommunicado and couldn’t be called offas it would compromise them and the operation.

Watch |Nord Stream Probe: Will the perpetrator ever be known?

Nord Stream pipelines

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.

After the explosion, Denmark and Sweden stated thatthe attacks could not have been carried out without state-sponsored help. While the Nordic countries may have pointed fingers towards Russia and President Vladimir Putin, it has become clear, a couple of years later that Zelensky first engineered the plan that was executed by his troops.

The WSJ report also comes a day after German prosecutors issued an arrest warrant against a Ukrainian man for the sabotage of the pipelines.

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

(With inputs from agencies)