The Kremlin rejected what was published by an American newspaper about the involvement of a "pro-Ukrainian group" in the bombing of the "Nord Stream" 1 and 2 gas pipelines last year, while Kiev officially denied being involved in this act of sabotage. Berlin warned against "hasty conclusions".
The Kremlin rejected what was published by an American newspaper about the bombing of the "Nord Stream" 1 and 2 gas pipelines by a "pro-Ukrainian group" last year, saying that it was a "distraction", while Kiev officially denied being involved in these acts of sabotage.
The New York Times wrote that the data collected by the US intelligence services indicated that the perpetrators of the sabotage in the two gas pipelines were "enemies of Russian President Vladimir Putin."
Since Russia's attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the two gas pipelines have been at the center of geopolitical tension fueled by Moscow's decision to cut off gas supplies to Europe in response to Western sanctions.
On September 26, 2022, a gas leak was detected from four large points, preceded by underwater explosions, on the two gas pipelines connecting Russia with Germany, all of which are in international waters.
The two pipelines, which were not operational at the time of the explosion, contained large amounts of methane.
The New York Times stated that a "pro-Ukrainian group" is behind this sabotage, based on information obtained by US intelligence without details of the identities of these elements or the "pro-Ukrainian group".
But Kiev officially denied this information.
Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote on Twitter: "I love collecting funny conspiracy theories about the Ukrainian government, but I must say that Ukraine has nothing to do with the Baltic Sea incident and has no information about any subversive pro-Ukrainian groups."
Ukraine's defense minister also denied on Wednesday that his country was involved in the incident. "This is not our business," Oleksiy Reznikov said in response to a question on the sidelines of a European meeting in Stockholm.
US officials said there was no indication that the Ukrainian president was involved in the sabotage.
The Kremlin refuses
On Wednesday, the Kremlin rejected the information published by the American newspaper, considering it an attempt to "distract attention." The Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as saying: "It is clear that the perpetrators of the attack want to divert attention and that this is a coordinated media stunt."
He added, "This case is not only strange, but rather a heinous crime," calling for a "transparent and urgent investigation," stressing the need to involve Russia in the international investigation.
Peskov added: "We have not yet been allowed to participate in the investigation, and only a few days ago we received notes on this matter from the Danes and the Swedes."
Western countries blamed Russia for the bombings, fueling anger against Moscow after it launched its attack in Ukraine.
And on Tuesday, German media reported that the criminal investigation identified the boat that was used in the sabotage, explaining that it was rented by a company based in Poland and that it was owned by "two Ukrainians, it seems," according to the newspaper "Die Zeit" and the "ARD" and "SVR" channels. ".
These media believe that a team of six people, five men and a woman, including divers, boarded the ship to transport explosives and dispose of them at the site. She explained that she obtained this information from interviews "with sources in several countries."
Germany, Denmark and Sweden are conducting judicial investigations into the destruction of the gas pipelines. However, "the nationality of the perpetrators remains unclear", according to "Die Zeit", which indicated that forged passports were used to charter the boat.
Investigators were able to determine that the group set sail from the German port of Rostock on September 6, 2022, and then located the boat near the Danish island of Christianso.
Traces of explosives were found "on the cabin table" of the boat, which was returned "without cleaning" to its owner, according to the same newspaper.
And she added that "even if the leads lead to Ukraine, investigators have not yet been able to determine who carried out the assignment" for this operation.
The New York Times said that the information seen by US intelligence does not allow for "conclusive conclusions" and "leaves open the possibility that the operation was launched secretly by a third-party force with connections within the Ukrainian government or its security services."
Germany warns against hasty conclusions
For its part, Germany warned on Wednesday of "hasty conclusions" in the "Nord Stream" gas pipeline explosion nearly 5 months ago, calling on its people to wait for the outcome of the official investigation.
German Foreign Minister Analina Berbock said in a press conference she held during her visit to the city of Erbil in northern Iraq that they are "closely following recent media reports about the possible perpetrators of the bombing, but she urged caution."
"First, we have to wait for the outcome of the investigation by the competent authorities," Barbock added.
And she added, "As the government, we can make an assessment on the basis of these results, and we cannot draw hasty conclusions from media reports."