First came the New York Times with its case with sources in American intelligence. Then German Zeit brought the news that a German investigative team had located what they believe to be the boat used in the sabotage. Both point to the fact that a pro-Ukrainian group may have been behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. None of this information has been confirmed by official sources. On Tuesday evening, the Ukrainian authorities flatly rejected any form of involvement in the sabotage. There is also nothing in the findings of the two newspapers that the Ukrainian authorities have been involved. On 26 September, tremors were recorded at the gas pipelines Nord Stream 2 and Nord Stream 1 southeast of Bornholm. Several countries’ governing authorities are investigating the matter, and believe the leak is the result of a deliberate act. Sabotage is suspected. Read more about the gas pipelines and the latest news from the investigations here. Zeit: Traces of explosives An excavation group consisting of German Zeit, ARD Capital Studio, ARD Kontraste and SWR has investigated the investigation. According to the excavation team, the investigators should have located the boat, allegedly a yacht rented by a Polish company. Gas could be seen bubbling in the surface above the damage site on Nord Stream 1 and 2, before the supply was shut off. Photo: HANDOUT / AFP Traces of explosives were allegedly found on a table in the cabin, writes Zeit. The pro-Ukrainian group is said to have consisted of six people, five men and one woman, according to the German excavation group. There must have been a captain, two divers, two diving assistants and a doctor, who must have transported the explosives to the scene and placed them there. According to the German excavation group, several European security services should have been tipped off about the findings of the investigation shortly after the explosions. NEW: Don’t know who ordered the New York Times bases its article on American intelligence sources. These sources also point to a pro-Ukrainian group being behind it. There is nothing to indicate that the Ukrainian authorities have been involved, writes the newspaper. The New York Times emphasizes that the intelligence sources could not conclude anything. Russia, for its part, has claimed that Western countries were behind the explosions on the wires and has called for an international investigation. – Russia will never let the West blow up gas pipelines again, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. Lavrov further said that Moscow will not be dependent on Western countries as energy partners in the future, NTB has written. Pointing to a Russian motive – It is extremely politically sensitive in a number of European countries now. Cecilie Hellestveit is a conflict and international law researcher at the Institute of International Law. She believed shortly after the sabotage that it was most likely that Russia was behind it, which she still stands by today. – There are quite a few on the list of suspects. A theory that has been around for a long time is that a pro-Ukrainian group is behind it, i.e. someone who supports the Ukrainians, but who is not under Ukrainian command. Because the attack requires special capabilities, the theory has been that a non-state actor may have received support from a Western state. Both Poland and Great Britain have been mentioned, says Hellestveit to news. – I still think there is the greatest chance that it is Russia. But we are unlikely to know this, it will be speculation based on evidence. Cecilie Hellestveit, conflict and international law researcher at the Institute of International Law. Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB She believes the timing of the sabotage points to Russian involvement. It happened at a time in the war when Russia was on the defensive. Moscow held referendums in the days before the sabotage, and soon after the sabotage moved the Russian border into Ukraine. – One theory is that the Russians have blown up their own gas pipelines to defend that a couple of days later the Kremlin annexed four regions in Ukraine and initiated mobilization at home. The Russians could point to the sabotage as a threat from the West, that they are willing to do anything to damage relations between Russia and Germany. In this way, Russia’s new policy of annexation and mobilization could be justified both at home and internationally. Stoltenberg: – Will not speculate on Nord Stream NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says that he will not speculate on who was behind the attacks on the Nord Stream cables in the Baltic Sea last autumn. – As far as the Nord Stream cables are concerned, what we know is that there has been an attack, Stoltenberg said at a press conference on Tuesday. Stoltenberg commented on the article by saying that as long as there is an ongoing investigation into the case, he will not speculate about who was behind it. The German government says it has noted the case in the New York Times, but is content for the time being with a neutral statement, writes NTB. – A few days ago, Sweden, Denmark and Germany informed the UN Security Council that the investigation is ongoing, and that there are still no results, says a statement from Prime Minister Olaf Scholz’s government. Ukrainian interference harmful Hellestveit believes that a theory that a group with ties to Ukraine is behind it will be very unfortunate for Ukraine. – Ukraine is fighting a defensive war against Russia in Ukraine, and the gas pipelines were considered an economic war-supporting infrastructure for the enemy Russia. That pro-Ukrainian actors seek to sabotage it should not surprise anyone. The problem is that if pro-Ukrainian forces have been involved in sabotaging the Russian-German relationship, it could create problems in German public opinion, says Hellestveit. She points out that there is an ongoing discussion in Germany about how far the country should go in its support for Ukraine, including in the form of weapons and tanks. – If a pro-Ukrainian group is behind it, the sabotage is more directly linked to the theater of war and will affect the enemy’s war economy. Russia’s motive, on the other hand, is more political, to justify its own measures. Norwegian People’s Aid: – Heavy, state actor Assistant Secretary General of Norwegian People’s Aid and explosives expert Per Nergaard believes that a state actor must be involved. – I think that it is natural to assume that it is a heavy, state actor with massive resources that has carried out the blasting, says Nergaard to news. Per Nergaard in Norwegian People’s Aid. Photo: Werner Anderson / Norwegian People’s Aid The final details of the case still mean that he does not want to say for sure. – But after collecting some information, it can also be plausible that there could be actors who have less of the classic resources and the apparatus a state has, who are behind it, says Nergaard. Wants UN investigation Russia’s deputy ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy, believes the UN must take charge of an international investigation into the sabotage against the Nord Stream pipelines. That is what Polyanskiy told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday evening, in the wake of the New York Times’ case. Russia wants the UN Security Council to vote at the end of March on a resolution asking Secretary-General António Guterres to set up such an investigation, Polyanskiy told Reuters.
ttn-69
Points to pro-Ukrainian group after the Nord Stream sabotage – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
