The Washington Post, citing anonymous sources, has reported that a Ukrainian military officer was involved in coordinating the 2022 attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline. The incident, unclaimed by any group, resulted in significant damage to the pipeline and has sparked multiple investigations across Europe.
by Brandon Mitchell
An intriguing development has emerged regarding last year’s Nord Stream pipeline sabotage. The Washington Post, relying on information from unnamed sources in Ukraine and Europe, reported on Saturday, 11 November, that a Ukrainian military officer played a key role in orchestrating the attack on the vital natural gas conduit.
The blasts in September 2022, which took place near Denmark’s Bornholm Island, severely damaged three of the four lines of the pipeline system that channels Russian gas into Europe. Although no group has claimed responsibility for the incident, it has been labeled as an act of sabotage by both Washington and NATO, while Moscow condemned it as international terrorism.
Roman Chervinsky, who previously held a position in Ukrainian military intelligence and served in the special forces, allegedly led a team of six in the operation but did not devise the plan himself, according to the Post. Chervinsky has publicly denied any involvement in this matter.
Inquiries made to Ukraine’s military, foreign ministry, and the domestic security service (SBU) yielded little information, with a military spokesperson stating he had “no information” regarding these claims. Responses from the foreign ministry and the SBU are still pending.
The report further suggests that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has denied Kyiv’s involvement in the Nord Stream explosions, was not aware of the operation. Notably, Zelenskyy recently appointed a new head for Ukraine’s special operations forces.
The aftermath of the Nord Stream explosions, which caused significant methane emissions, prompted Germany, Denmark, and Sweden to initiate investigations. These blasts have drawn considerable international attention due to their geopolitical implications.
Currently, Chervinsky faces arrest for a separate incident in 2022, involving an attempt to persuade a Russian pilot to defect to Ukraine. This attempt reportedly triggered a fatal Russian assault on a Ukrainian air base. Chervinsky, a vocal critic of the Zelenskyy administration, has claimed that the charges against him are politically motivated and that he was acting under orders.
His former commanding officer, Maj. Gen. Viktor Hanushchak, corroborated Chervinsky’s claims in earlier statements to Ukrainian media, asserting that the military’s upper echelons approved the plot to entice the Russian pilot.
This story has garnered significant attention, with the Washington Post and Germany’s Der Spiegel conducting a collaborative investigation and simultaneously publishing their respective reports on this complex and evolving situation.
(Associated Medias | FAD) – All rights reserved.