Ukraine military officer had key role in Nord Stream sabotage, reports say

A Ukrainian special forces commander played a key role in sabotaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September last year, according to an investigation by two international newspapers.

Mystery has surrounded who was behind the blasts that damaged the pipelines – which run from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea – cutting off a major route for Russian gas exports to Europe and heightening already high tensions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Different theories have emerged pointing the finger at Ukraine, Russia or the United States. All have denied involvement.

A joint investigation by The Washington Post newspaper and German outlet Der Spiegel, published on Saturday, singled out Roman Chervinsky, a 48-year-old who served in Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces.

The officer’s alleged role provides the most direct evidence to date tying Ukraine’s military and security leadership to the sabotage that spawned multiple criminal investigations.

Chervinsky was the “coordinator”, the reports claimed, citing officials in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, as well as other people with knowledge of the operation, who spoke anonymously.