An investigation by two international newspapers revealed that a senior Ukrainian military official, Colonel Roman Chervinsky, played a pivotal role in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year. The pipelines, crucial for transporting natural gas from Russia to Germany, were damaged in underwater bombings. The investigation, however, indicates that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was likely unaware of the operation.
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Key Points:Â
- The investigation identified Roman Chervinsky, a colonel in Ukraine’s special-operations forces, as the coordinator of the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.
- Chervinsky managed logistics for a six-person team that executed the operation, using deep-sea diving equipment and explosives, but he did not plan the operation himself.
- The findings are based on interviews with Ukrainian and European officials and others with knowledge of the operation, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
- Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has denied Ukraine’s involvement in the attacks, and the investigation suggests he was not informed about the Nord Stream operation.
- Chervinsky is currently detained in Kyiv on separate charges related to a plot involving a Russian pilot and inadvertently exposing a Ukrainian airfield’s coordinates.
