Sat, November 11, 2023
Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Last year's trio of explosions that ruptured the Nord Stream gas pipelines were orchestrated by a former senior Ukrainian military officer, the Washington Post reported Saturday.
The Post, citing anonymous Ukrainian and European officials as well as others with knowledge of the operation, published the report in conjunction with German periodical Der Spiegel.
The former military officer, identified Col. Roman Chervinsky, once had strong ties to the intelligence community and served as the covert operation's "coordinator," the newspaper said.
Chervinsky previously served in Ukraine's Special Operations Forces but The Post did not elaborate on his role there, although he has carried out special previous operations for Ukraine.
"The officer's role provides the most direct evidence to date tying Ukraine's military and security leadership to a controversial act of sabotage that has spawned multiple criminal investigations and that U.S. and Western officials have called a dangerous attack on Europe's energy infrastructure," The Post reported in the exclusive story.
Through a lawyer, Chervinsky denied any involvement in the operation.
Neither U.S. or Ukrainian military sources have commented on the report.
Last year’s trio of explosions that ruptured the Nord Stream gas pipelines (pictured) were orchestrated by a former Ukrainian military officer, the Washington Post reported Saturday. Photo courtesy of Danish Defense
The story alleges Chervinsky and a six-person support team chartered a sailboat and used deep-sea diving capabilities to orchestrate the blasts.
In April a Kyiv court arrested Chervinskyi in connection with an allegedly unauthorized plot to hijack a Russian military fighter jet. Prosecutors said the scheme led to a Russian missile attack on Kanatove airfield on July 23, 2022.
He was identified by prosecutors as a former employee of Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence and the Security Service of Ukraine, as well as a former acting commander of one of the Ukrainian military's Special Operation Forces units.
Three separate explosions rocked the Swedish Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines on Sept. 26, 2022.
An investigation later revealed traces of explosives at both rupture sites, pointing to sabotage as the cause. The report did not specify how the explosives were affixed the lines or who was behind their installation.
When fully operational, the twin pipeline system can transport up to 1.94 trillion cubic feet (55 billion cubic meters) of natural gas from Russia to Germany underneath the Baltic Sea.
As recently as April, Swedish prosecutors said determining the true cause behind the explosions would be difficult to uncover and may never be known.
The pipelines were not active at the time of the explosion but were still filled with natural gas when authorities noticed a sharp drop in pressure.
Media investigation finds Ukrainian officer coordinated Nord Stream pipelines sabotage
A Ukrainian special forces commander played a key role in sabotaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September last year, reports said Saturday.
Issued on: 12/11/2023
Mystery has surrounded who was behind the blasts that damaged the pipelines, cutting off a major route for Russian gas exports to Europe and fuelling already high tensions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Different theories have emerged pointing the finger at Ukraine, Russia or the United States. All have denied involvement.
A joint investigation by The Washington Post newspaper and German outlet Der Spiegel singles out Roman Chervinsky, a 48-year-old who served in Ukraine's Special Operations Forces.
He was the "coordinator", the reports said, citing officials in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, as well as other people with knowledge of the operation, who spoke anonymously.
He oversaw logistics and support for a six-person team, which rented a sailing boat using false identities and diving equipment to place explosive charges on the pipelines, said the Post.
The blasts ruptured three of the four pipelines that make up Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, spewing gas into the Baltic Sea.
Chervinsky did not plan the operation or act alone, and took orders from more senior Ukrainian officials, the Post reported.
He denied any role in the sabotage through his lawyer.
Read moreNord Stream 2: Russia-Germany gas pipeline becomes a geopolitical lever
"All speculations about my involvement in the attack on Nord Stream are being spread by Russian propaganda without any basis," he said in a statement to the Post and Der Spiegel.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly denied his country was behind the sabotage.
"I would never do that," he told Germany's Bild newspaper in June, adding that he would "like to see proof".
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But the Nord Stream operation was designed to keep Zelensky in the dark, the Post reported.
The two media outlets said the Ukrainian government did not respond to requests for comment on their investigation.
Chervinsky is currently on trial in Kyiv, accused of having abused his power during an attempt to persuade a Russian pilot to defect.
He says his prosecution is political retribution for having criticised Zelensky, according to the reports.
A Ukrainian special forces commander played a key role in sabotaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September last year, reports said Saturday.
Issued on: 12/11/2023
This handout picture taken on September 29, 2022 and released the following day by the Danish Defence Command shows one of four gas leaks at one of the damaged Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
Mystery has surrounded who was behind the blasts that damaged the pipelines, cutting off a major route for Russian gas exports to Europe and fuelling already high tensions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Different theories have emerged pointing the finger at Ukraine, Russia or the United States. All have denied involvement.
A joint investigation by The Washington Post newspaper and German outlet Der Spiegel singles out Roman Chervinsky, a 48-year-old who served in Ukraine's Special Operations Forces.
He was the "coordinator", the reports said, citing officials in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, as well as other people with knowledge of the operation, who spoke anonymously.
He oversaw logistics and support for a six-person team, which rented a sailing boat using false identities and diving equipment to place explosive charges on the pipelines, said the Post.
The blasts ruptured three of the four pipelines that make up Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, spewing gas into the Baltic Sea.
Chervinsky did not plan the operation or act alone, and took orders from more senior Ukrainian officials, the Post reported.
He denied any role in the sabotage through his lawyer.
Read moreNord Stream 2: Russia-Germany gas pipeline becomes a geopolitical lever
"All speculations about my involvement in the attack on Nord Stream are being spread by Russian propaganda without any basis," he said in a statement to the Post and Der Spiegel.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly denied his country was behind the sabotage.
"I would never do that," he told Germany's Bild newspaper in June, adding that he would "like to see proof".
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morningSubscribe
But the Nord Stream operation was designed to keep Zelensky in the dark, the Post reported.
The two media outlets said the Ukrainian government did not respond to requests for comment on their investigation.
Chervinsky is currently on trial in Kyiv, accused of having abused his power during an attempt to persuade a Russian pilot to defect.
He says his prosecution is political retribution for having criticised Zelensky, according to the reports.
(AFP)
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