US says intel suggests pro-Ukrainian group sabotaged Nord Stream pipelines - NYT
New intelligence reviewed by US officials suggests that a pro-Ukrainian group of likely Ukrainian or Russian nationals carried out the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines last year, but the intelligence reached no firm conclusions, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.
There was no evidence that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy or his top lieutenants were involved, or that the perpetrators were acting at the direction of any Ukrainian government officials, the newspaper reported, citing US officials.
Reuters could not independently verify the report, and US officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives for Kyiv and Moscow also could not be immediately reached.
The United States and Nato have called the September 2022 attacks on the pipelines that spewed gas into the Baltic Sea "an act of sabotage," while Moscow has blamed the West. Neither side has provided evidence.
Built by Russia's state-controlled Gazprom GAZP.MM, the Nord Stream gas pipelines connect Russia and Germany. They have become a flashpoint during Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. Representatives for Gazprom also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The intelligence review suggests those who carried out the attacks opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin "but does not specify the members of the group, or who directed or paid for the operation," the Times wrote.
"US officials declined to disclose the nature of the intelligence, how it was obtained or any details of the strength of the evidence it contains. They have said that there are no firm conclusions about it," it added, citing the unnamed officials.
"Officials who have reviewed the intelligence said they believed the saboteurs were most likely Ukrainian or Russian nationals or some combination of the two. US officials said no American or British nationals were involved," according to the Times report.
The European countries where the pipeline travelled are investigating, and the U.S. State Department has said it is not a party to the probe and is deferring to those nations.
Russia last month called on the United Nations Security Council to independently investigate.
In the year since the invasion, Europe has drastically cut its energy imports from Russia. Moscow this week called for all Nord Stream stakeholders to decide its fate after three of the four pipelines were destroyed in the attacks.
German energy company E.ON EONGn.DE, one of the shareholders of the Nord Stream pipeline, declined to comment.
US has full confidence in Europe’s Nord Stream investigation – State Department
The United States has "full faith and confidence" in investigations led by Germany, Sweden and Denmark into the possible causes behind the explosion on the Nord Stream gas pipeline last September, said State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Tuesday.
During a news briefing, Price said the US government would wait for its European partners' investigation to conclude.
“We have full faith and confidence in the investigation that they're running. Of course, we're going to wait for those investigations to conclude. We'll see what they say. But again, we have full faith and confidence in our European partners who are behind this.”
The Sept. 26 explosions on the pipelines connecting Russia and Germany occurred in the exclusive economic zones of Sweden and Denmark. Both countries have concluded the blasts were deliberate, but have not said who might be responsible.
Reuters
