US intelligence officials suspect that a pro-Ukraine group is behind the sabotage of the Nordstream pipelines.
US officials report this to the New York Times . The officials say they have new evidence pointing to that. But which group it is exactly remains a mystery.
The officials emphasize that much is still unclear about the perpetrators. According to the latest information released, it would be a group that has turned against Putin. The group would probably consist of Ukrainians, or Russians, or a combination of the two. No Americans or British would be involved.
No indications that Ukrainian President Zelensky was directly informed
The German government released shortly after the publication of the New York Times know that they have not yet completed their research. Sweden, Denmark and Germany informed the UN Security Council a few days ago that their investigations are ongoing, and no conclusions have yet been reached.
According to the officials, there is no indication that Ukrainian President Zelensky was directly aware of the operation. The group would also not have received a direct order from the Ukrainian government. Ukraine denies involvement in the operation. Ukrainian involvement is sensitive because it could affect support for Ukraine in a Europe hit by high gas prices.
It is not specified which group it specifically concerns. Nor who ultimately decided to sabotage, and who paid for the action. That leaves open the possibility that this operation was carried out outside official channels by an outside group that has ties to the Ukrainian intelligence services, writes the New York Times .
After the explosions in September last year, there was no doubt that it was sabotage
The explanation raises more questions than it answers. Immediately after the explosions, European officials said that a country was probably behind the attack. The perpetrators must have been well trained to place explosives in the pipelines unseen. The US never commented on that. In response to the new evidence, officials now say the divers probably did not work for an army or intelligence agency, but may have been previously trained by a country.
After the explosions in September last year, there was no doubt that it was sabotage, not an accident. Speculation immediately spread from Washington to Moscow as to who was responsible. Initially, the West pointed to Russia. The US intelligence services later said they had not found any evidence for this.
The Russians accused Britain, but had no concrete evidence. Recently, the well-known American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh stated that America is behind the explosions. Experts doubt his conclusion. Hersch’s reputation has taken a few serious dents in recent years. He also relies on a single anonymous source.
Ukraine was strongly against the construction of Nordstream 2
It has been rumored in US government circles for some time that Ukraine had the most logical motive for an attack on the pipeline. Ukraine was fiercely against the construction of Nordstream 2. The country pointed out several times that this would make Europe more dependent on Russian gas. Given the earlier Russian attack on Ukraine, this would lead to a threat to Ukrainian security.