Politics

Top Ukrainian Military Officer ‘Coordinated’ Nord Stream Sabotage: Report

One of probably the most vital financial assaults within the historical past of the European Union, the bombing of the Nord Stream pure fuel pipelines, was orchestrated by a senior Ukrainian army officer with ties to Kyiv’s intelligence providers, The Washington Post reported.

In a report printed in conjunction with the German information journal Der Speigel, The Washington Post, citing unnamed European and Ukrainian officers, claimed that Colonel Roman Chervinsky, 48, beforehand of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, served because the “coordinator” for the bombing of the Nord Stream 1 and a couple of pipelines that transported pure fuel from Russia into Germany.

According to the report, the previous senior Ukrainian army officer managed the “logistics and support” for a six-man group which used false identities to lease a sailboat and used deep sea diving gear to connect bombs to the 2 underwater pipelines and explode them final September. The Post went on to report that Chervinsky “took orders from more senior Ukrainian officials, who ultimately reported to Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s highest-ranking military officer.”

Chervinsky additionally reportedly had shut ties to high army and safety officers after having served in senior roles in Ukraine’s SBU Security Service.

“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 American newspaper wrote.

The report flies within the face of attempts kind the Biden administration figures similar to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm guilty Moscow for the assault, regardless of Russian state owned Gazprom being the bulk shareholder of Nord Stream 1 and the only proprietor of Nord Stream 2.

Although the 2 pipelines weren’t energetic on the time of the sabotage — with Russian President Vladimir Putin shutting them down amid Western sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine — their destruction severely impacted Russia’s skill to promote power to Europe, which hitherto was a central element of the Russian economic system.

The bombing of the pipelines additionally compelled nations similar to Germany to show to costlier pure fuel shipped throughout the Atlantic from the United States to fulfill its wants, which not solely negatively impacted Europe’s manufacturing hub economically, but additionally diminished Moscow’s leverage over Berlin and subsequently disincentivised Germany from pushing for a peace settlement. Prior to the conflict in Ukraine, Germany acquired half of its pure fuel by Nord Stream 1.

According to The Post, among the officers who spoke of Chervinsky’s function within the pipeline assaults defended his actions as serving Ukraine’s nationwide pursuits, arguing that it diminished Russia’s skill to fund its conflict and prevented Putin from utilizing fuel as political leverage over Europe.

It stays to be seen how Berlin will react to information of its supposed ally allegedly attacking its important power infrastructure and whether or not it should proceed to ship billions in assist and weapons to Kyiv.

So far, the governments of Germany, the United States, and Ukraine haven’t publicly commented on the allegations made within the Washington Post report.

For his half, talking by an legal professional, Chervinsky denied any involvement within the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines: “All speculations about my involvement in the attack on Nord Stream are being spread by Russian propaganda without any basis.”

Chervinsky is presently imprisoned in Kyiv dealing with expenses that he used his place to conduct a plot with out permission to lure a Russian pilot to defect to Ukraine in July of final 12 months. It is alleged that the unsanctioned operation revealed coordinates of an airfield in Ukraine, resulting in a Russian missile strike that killed one soldier and injured 17 others.

However, Chervinsky claims that his actions had been sanctioned and his supporters declare that the trial is an try and sideline a possible rival of President Volodymyr Zelenksy.

The Post claimed that sources stated that Zelensky was possible unaware of the assaults on the Nord Stream pipelines, with the mission being purposefully designed to maintain the Ukrainian president “out of the loop”.

This contradicts earlier feedback from Zelensky, who stated following reviews that the United States was conscious of Ukrainian plans to sabotage the pipelines: “I am president and I give orders accordingly… Nothing of the sort has been done by Ukraine. I would never act that way.”

Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter: or e-mail to: kzindulka@breitbart.com



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