Citing a number of unnamed officers, the news retailers reported that 5 males and a lady used a yacht employed by a Ukrainian-owned firm in Poland to hold out the assault. German federal prosecutors confirmed {that a} boat was searched in January.
The New York Times additionally reported on Tuesday that US officers reviewed intelligence that recommended a pro-Ukrainian group was behind the blasts. The Ukrainian authorities has denied involvement.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius mentioned he learn the news reviews “with great interest” however warned in opposition to drawing hasty conclusions.
“We need to clearly differentiate whether it was a Ukrainian group that acted on the orders of Ukraine or (…) without the government’s knowledge,” he instructed reporters in Stockholm.
Speaking on the sidelines of a European Union defence ministers assembly, Pistorius mentioned some specialists additionally had raised the potential for a so-called false flag operation by a gaggle pretending to be Ukrainian.
“It would not be the first time in the history of such events,” the German minister mentioned. “As such, I’m refraining from drawing premature conclusions.”
Asked whether or not the reviews might undermine Western help for Ukraine, Pistorius mentioned he most well-liked to reply as soon as he had dependable info. “Anything else is hypothetical,” he added.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov rejected ideas that the assault might need been ordered by Kyiv. “It’s like a compliment for our special forces, but this is not our activity,” he instructed reporters in Stockholm.
According to the German media reviews, the suspects used solid passports when hiring the boat, which set off from the German port of Rostock. A captain, two divers, two diving assistants and a health care provider made up the group, ARD reported.
Germany’s Federal Prosecutors Office declined to remark immediately on the reviews. But it confirmed that investigators performed a search from January 18-20 “in connection with a suspicious boat hire”.
“There is a suspicion that the boat in question could have been to transport explosive devices that exploded on September 26, 2022, on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines,” the prosecutors workplace mentioned in an electronic mail to The Associated Press. “The evaluation of the seized traces and objects is ongoing.”
“The identity of the perpetrators and their motives are the subject of ongoing investigations,” it added. “At present, it is not possible to make any reliable statements on this, in particular on the question of state control.”
“In the course of the further investigation, all leads to clarify the facts of the case will be pursued,” prosecutors mentioned. “There are no grounds for suspecting employees of the German company that leased the ship.”
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby declined Tuesday to touch upon the New York Times report, noting that investigations by Denmark, Germany, and Sweden stay lively.
“We need to let these investigations conclude,” Kirby mentioned. “And only then should we be looking at what follow-on actions might or may not be appropriate.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday described the media reviews alleging Ukrainian involvement within the Nord Stream explosions as a coordinated manipulation meant to cowl up the organisers of the assault.
“The masterminds of the terror attack clearly want to distract attention,” Peskov mentioned in remarks carried by the state RIA Novosti news company.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his officers have accused the US of staging the pipeline explosions, which they described as a terror assault.
Peskov once more famous that Russia was denied entry to proof from the investigation. He known as for a clear worldwide probe.
The Nord Stream 1 and a couple of pipelines have lengthy been a goal of criticism by the United States and a few of its allies, who warned that they posed a danger to Europe’s power safety by growing dependence on Russian fuel.
Germany halted certification of the still-uncommissioned Nord Stream 2 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Moscow stopped the movement of fuel in Nord Stream 1 weeks earlier than the assault.
Dutch fuel transport and storage firm Gasunie mentioned Wednesday it doesn’t anticipate the sabotaged Nord Stream 1 and a couple of pipelines to return again into service any time quickly and has written off its multimillion-euro funding within the challenge.
“In the current geopolitical context, Gasunie does not foresee a resumption of gas deliveries via Nord Stream for the foreseeable future and, as a result, does not expect to receive any more dividends,” the corporate mentioned in its annual report.
Gasunie, whose transportation and storage actions serve the Netherlands and elements of Germany, had invested €508 million ($811 million) for a 9 per cent stake in Nord Stream. It slashed the worth of the funding in July to €240 million ($383 million) and now has written it off completely.
Source: www.9news.com.au
