A new report shows that near the place where the Nord Stream gas pipelines were damaged, there were ships of the Russian Navy equipped to carry out underwater operations, the BBC writes.
The location of the ships was determined using data from intercepted communications of the Russian Navy. Last September, underwater explosions damaged two Nord Stream gas pipelines. The specific reason for the explosions is unknown, but immediately after them, some Western countries blamed Russia, while Moscow indicated that the West, including Great Britain, had organized the sabotage.
The latest in Putin’s Shadow War series offers clues pointing in Russia’s direction and talks of suspicious ship movements before the Nord Stream explosions.
It is believed that the
research vessel Sibiryakov, the tugboat SB-123, and another vessel from the Russian Navy, were in the vicinity of the gas pipelines
before the explosions. They were all so-called “ghost ships” that moved with their transmitters turned off. The media indicate that intercepted messages sent by the ships to the bases between June and September 2022 helped to reveal the movement of the ships.
The movement of the ships has been followed by a retired British naval intelligence officer. The former intelligence expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he used open data and radio communications to conduct his research. Russian ships were said to have been in the vicinity of the explosion site several times for a few hours, and in one case even for a whole day.
The research vessel Sibiryakov can conduct underwater observation and mapping, and also launch a small underwater transport vehicle. In June, a Russian research vessel made an unusual maneuver around the Nord Stream gas pipelines and switched to secret communications, the senior officer said. The unidentified ship, on the other hand, was in the specific area a week before Sibiryakov.
The tugboat SB-123 arrived in the vicinity of Nord Stream five days before the explosion.
Data on radio communication show that the tug stayed there all evening and night, and only then went back to Russia.
At the end of April, it was revealed that the Danish army had taken 26 photos showing another Russian ship capable of underwater operations. Danish media reported that the submarine rescue ship SS-750 was photographed near the gas pipeline four days before the explosion.
The documentary does not draw definitive conclusions about Russia’s possible involvement, but it raises questions about the significance of Russia’s actions. Moscow, in turn, denies any connection with the explosions.
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