The Wall Street Journal reported that a plan was concocted by Ukrainian military sources to blow up the Nord Stream pipeline that transports Russian gas to Germany in May 2022. The operation involved a small Ukrainian crew disguised as a pleasure boat cruise and was approved by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before the CIA intervened and asked him to halt the plan. Despite the president’s order to stop, the operation was carried out by Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhniy. The sources cited by the WSJ considered the pipeline a legitimate target in Ukraine’s defense against Russia, but these claims have not been independently verified by Euronews.
German intelligence officials expressed doubt about Ukraine’s involvement in the sabotage, suggesting that it may have been a “false flag” operation by Russia. Polish authorities also sent the names of Russian suspects to Germany’s intelligence service, further complicating the investigation. The first arrest warrant issued named a man identified as Volodymyr Z, who had reportedly returned to Ukraine before being apprehended in Poland. Two other suspects, a married couple running a diving school in Ukraine, denied any involvement in the attack due to their limited diving capabilities compared to the depth of the explosions at around 80 meters.
The operation reportedly cost around $300,000 and involved a six-member crew on a rented yacht. The plan was developed during a celebratory night in May 2022 following Ukraine’s success in halting Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country. The Nord Stream pipeline, which runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, plays a significant role in providing natural gas to Western Europe and contributes billions to the Kremlin’s revenue. The WSJ reported that four senior Ukrainian defense and security officials confirmed their direct knowledge or participation in the plot, viewing the pipeline as a justified target in the conflict with Russia.
Despite some corroboration from a German investigation into the Nord Stream incident, doubts persist about Ukraine’s involvement in the sabotage. German intelligence officials questioned the narrative presented by the Ukrainian military sources and raised the possibility of Russian interference to mislead investigators. Polish authorities attempted to arrest a suspect named in the investigation, but he had already returned to Ukraine before the attempt was made. The involvement of a diving school running couple in the attack has also been denied due to their limited diving capabilities compared to the depth of the explosions, raising further questions about the true perpetrators of the sabotage.
The revelations about the alleged Ukrainian plot to blow up the Nord Stream pipeline come amidst ongoing tensions in the region, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent conflict continuing to impact international relations. The reported involvement of Ukrainian military officials in planning the attack adds another layer of complexity to the situation, with conflicting narratives and doubts about the true motives and perpetrators of the sabotage. The investigation into the Nord Stream incident is ongoing, with authorities from Germany, Poland, and Ukraine each pursuing leads and gathering evidence to determine the veracity of the claims made by various sources and to identify those responsible for the attack.
