A year later, the Nord Stream puzzle is “solved”. Investigators say little in public and distill information with revelations to the media. According to German media research, the main suspects remain the Ukrainians, even if other perpetrators have not been ruled out.
The boat
The sailboat Andromeda, chartered in Germany, is the key to the story. The commando of five men and one woman used it to reach the pipes of the gas pipeline, which were then damaged by a series of explosions – perhaps four – on September 26, 2022. It is believed to be a 15 meter long boat with plenty of space and a stern platform to be sufficient for the mission. On board, investigators found residues of Hmx explosives, which can also be used in the water. Few experts expressed doubts and suggested that they might have used more appropriate means and elements. When reconstructing the movements, it becomes clear that the suspected team called at several ports of call to refuel, but above all to wait for favorable weather conditions, as the sea was quite rough at the time. It is possible that the attackers used sonar devices purchased on the civilian market (e.g. for fishing) as well as a small drone. Before diving you need to know where to go.
The men
There have been many rumors about the alleged network in recent months. A recent article in German weekly Die Zeit highlighted the role of Ukrainian Rustem, 41, whose businesses range from pigs to heat pumps. He could be the man who rented the boat through a screen company. A second Ukrainian appears, a former soldier who is linked to a woman living in Germany. During the different phases of the charter, ideas emerge using the false identities of the captains: the “Bulgarian” Mihail Popov and the “Romanian” Stefan Marcu. Then the traces of the crew’s phones. And there is no shortage of “footprints” leading to areas under Russian control. Therefore, the operation may have involved a financial aspects manager, some external employees, two sailors, three divers and a doctor. Former military personnel, but also professionals from the private sector, fishermen among oil platform operators, treasure hunters, anyone who has experience of working beneath the sea’s surface. We remember that they hit here at a depth of about 80 meters with several charges totaling 100 kilograms.
The alarms
The team’s description matches the alarms that were raised before the disaster. At the beginning of June 2022, the Dutch services received a tip about a possible attack around June 19th. The note speaks of six people setting off from Sweden equipped with a boat and a dinghy. They use the search for wreckage as cover. The report concerns the Ukrainians and suggests that they are acting on the orders of the Armed Forces Commander Valery Zaluzhny. The CIA is notified, appears skeptical, but contacts Kiev for clarification. And he gets it. June 19th passes without anything happening: is this a result of the confidential “discussions”? Berlin has also been warned, but is not taking any special protective measures for its gas pipeline. In October a second report comes out, again from Holland, which again blames the Ukrainians. Subsequently, the Pentagon files published by the mole, the aviator Jack Texeira, support the thesis about the involvement of a special unit equipped with mini-submarines.
The list
Many scenarios. The first. It was the Ukrainians, a government-directed operation. The second. These were deviant Ukrainian agents or elements acting on the orders of the security apparatus without President Zelensky’s knowledge (so that he could deny it). The third. The American journalist Seymour Hersh accused the USA of exploiting maneuvers by the Atlantic Alliance to trigger the explosion. The Kremlin took a slightly different position: it was an “Anglo-American” plan. Fourth. The poles. The fifth. Russia, which had numerous ships in the area in the days before the explosions. Military units, but also a “strange” oil tanker. The sixth. A provocation to blame Kiev, the well-known “false flag”. And this would explain the abundance of clues left on the shores of the Baltic Sea. For example, we wondered why the saboteurs didn’t make Andromeda disappear to prevent the “collection” of DNA and chemical residues. Answer: Failure to return the sailing ship would have triggered the searches immediately, while the Germans found and searched the boat months after the attack.
The investigations
Each country investigates independently, there is little cooperation (at least at the official level), there is time to pass, no one – apparently – has the desire to reach a conclusion, especially if Kiev was really involved. The priority is on helping Ukraine, on the challenge with Moscow: the invaders themselves paid little attention to the dossier, which remained in the background compared to an unlimited conflict.