President Zelenskyy has denied Ukraine’s involvement in the blasts that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines, cutting off a major route for Russian gas exports to Europe. An investigation by two international newspapers pointed to a Ukrainian special forces commander, Roman Chervinsky, as playing a key role in the sabotage. According to the report, Chervinsky oversaw logistics and support for a six-person team that used false identities and diving equipment to place explosive charges on the pipelines.
The explosions ruptured three of the four pipelines that make up Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, leading to a halt in gas flows and spewing gas into the Baltic Sea. The attack on the civilian infrastructure built to provide energy to millions of people in Europe has been condemned by US and Western officials as a dangerous attack on Europe’s energy infrastructure.
Chervinsky denies the allegations, claiming that they are being spread by Russian propaganda without any basis. Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy has also repeatedly denied his country’s involvement in the sabotage, stating that he would never do such a thing and asking for proof. The Ukrainian government did not respond to requests for comment on the investigation.
As for Chervinsky, he is currently in jail in Kyiv on charges of allegedly abusing his power during an attempt to persuade a Russian pilot to defect. He believes that his prosecution is political retribution for having criticized Zelenskyy.
Mystery still surrounds who was behind the blasts, with different theories emerging pointing the finger at Ukraine, Russia, or the United States. All parties involved have denied involvement, with the attack heightening tensions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.