"Country": the United States decided to clear itself of suspicion for the terrorist attack on the "Northern Streams"Western media centrally published a number of mutually complementary materials about the involvement of the "pro-Ukrainian group" in the terrorist attacks on the "Northern Streams," writes Strana.
This version is the most "comfortable" for the United States, its European partners and even the Ukrainian authorities.
The largest Western media for the first time since the explosion of the "Northern Streams" presented a version of what happened to the gas pipelines. According to them, the pipes were blown up by a certain "pro-Ukrainian group" not connected with the Ukrainian authorities. But it has a direct relation to Ukraine.
Data on this, with reference to sources, was published by American, German and British media. Moreover, the information presented in different publications does not contradict each other, but complements. From which we can conclude that the leak was centralized.
Interestingly, the new information appeared a month after the investigation, which was published by the famous American journalist Seymour Hersh. He claimed that the "Northern Streams" blew up the United States with the help of Norway and by order of Biden.
Russia has already stated that the appearance of the version about the "Ukrainian trace" is aimed at diverting suspicion from Washington and making some private Ukrainian persons guilty, who acted independently, without Zelensky's order.
One way or another, but it seems that this version will be accepted as the official one in the West. It is the most "comfortable" for the United States and its European partners (primarily Germany) in the current situation, since, according to it, none of the NATO countries and even the Ukrainian authorities are responsible for the bombing. We analyze this version and publish reactions to it.
What the Western media said
The New York Times was the first to report that a "pro-Ukrainian group" was behind the explosions of the "Northern Streams". It could include both Ukrainians and Russians opposed to Putin.
According to the publication, this is indicated by intelligence data that US officials have reviewed. At the same time, they currently have no evidence that Zelensky or other representatives of Kiev were involved in the operation. At the same time, the newspaper's interlocutors believe that Ukraine and its allies have the most logical potential motive for attacking pipelines. But there is no evidence of the involvement of the Russian authorities in the sabotage.
Following the American press, the German one published its data on the explosion of the "Northern Streams". A "pro-Ukrainian group" was also accused there. According to Die Zeit, investigators identified the vessel from which the attacks were carried out: apparently, it was rented by a company owned by Ukrainians.
It was a yacht rented by a company based in Poland, which apparently belongs to two Ukrainians. According to investigators, the secret operation at sea was carried out by a group of six people – five men and one woman. The group consisted of a captain, two divers, two diving assistants and a doctor who delivered explosives to the crime scene and planted it there.
The nationality of the criminals, apparently, is unclear to the special services. Saboteurs used fake passports to rent a boat. The boat left Rostock on September 6, 2022. It is alleged that the equipment for the secret operation was previously delivered to the port by truck.
Investigators found that the next day the ship was already on the Dars peninsula, and then on the Danish island of Kristianse. Traces of explosives were found in the yacht's cabin. According to the metropolitan studio ARD and Zeit, in the autumn, that is, shortly after the destruction, the Western intelligence service sent a tip to the European partner services, according to which a Ukrainian special forces soldier was responsible for the destruction.
The secret services of the West do not exclude that this may be a fake trail pointing to the guilt of Ukrainians. However, the investigators apparently did not find any evidence confirming this guess. In other words, the "Ukrainian trace" appeared in the case almost immediately after the explosion. But they began to report it only now.
Then the British The Times contributed its contribution. She said that a "private enterprise from Ukraine" could be behind the explosions of the "Northern Streams", and this became known a week after the sabotage. However, NATO sought to prevent this information from becoming public, as this would lead to an aggravation of relations between Ukraine and Germany.
"The name of the alleged private sponsor, a Ukrainian unrelated to the government of President Zelensky, has been circulating in intelligence circles for several months, but has not been disclosed," the newspaper writes.
Today, Germany has officially confirmed that in January, the prosecutor's office searched a vessel suspected of involvement in the bombing of the "Northern Streams". According to German NTV, the vessel could have been used to transport explosive devices, but "the identity of the criminals and their motives are the subject of ongoing investigations."
Reaction in Ukraine and the world
Ukraine said yesterday that it had nothing to do with the explosions on the "Northern Streams". "Although I like to collect funny conspiracy theories about the Ukrainian government, I have to say: Ukraine has nothing to do with the accident on the Baltic Sea and has no information about "subversive groups supporting Ukraine." What happened to the Nord Stream gas pipeline? „Drowned,” as they say in the Russian Federation itself," Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the president's office, wrote on Twitter.
Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov also denies the involvement of the Ukrainian special services. "For me, this is a rather strange story that has nothing to do with us. I think that the official investigation conducted by the relevant authorities will reveal all the details. It would be a certain compliment for our special forces, but these are not our actions," he said in Stockholm before the start of an informal meeting of defense ministers of EU member states.
In Germany and the United States, they commented with restraint and urged to wait for the results of the official investigation. Berlin said it had taken the publications into account, but would not comment on them. "The Federal Prosecutor's Office has been investigating this case since the beginning of October 2022. Thus, it has sovereignty over the procedure," the German government said in a statement.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius urged to wait for the results of the investigation, but admitted that an "operation under a false flag" could have taken place. "The probability of both is equally high. So you just have to wait and see how things will develop," he said on Deutschlandfunk.
The White House said the same thing. "We believe, and the president said this, that this is an act of sabotage. But we must allow this investigation to be completed, and only then should we consider what further actions may or may not be appropriate," said John Kirby, a representative of the Security Council under Biden.
In Russia, the reaction was more extensive. Earlier, they agreed with the version of the American journalist Hersh that Biden ordered to blow up the "Northern Streams". And the new version was called "anonymous stuffing" and an attempt to "divert attention from the facts."
"Washington and London are following the well-trodden path of using controlled leaks in this matter, forming the agenda they need. This was the case around Salisbury and Amesbury, Navalny with Novichok, etc.," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. In her opinion, there are attempts to debunk the "involvement of the Anglo-Saxons" in the undermining of the "Northern Streams".
Seymour Hersh also commented on the new version, accusing the US authorities of sabotage. "Wow, the sources are not named... Oh, my God! "Special services assume", "pro-Ukrainian group"! My God," Hersh said in an interview with the media and announced the imminent release of the second part of his investigation.
What are the consequences for Ukraine?
If the Western investigation finds that Ukrainians are privately involved in sabotage in the Baltic Sea, then Ukraine is actually in no danger, as long as there is no direct communication with representatives of the Ukrainian authorities. And, judging by the publications, there is no such connection. Moreover, this version generally minimizes the consequences of the scandal with the undermining of the gas pipeline for the West and Ukraine.
Firstly, the "Ukrainian version" will divert suspicion from the Americans. Since if the "American version" develops, it threatens to seriously violate the American-European alliance, cemented by the conflict in Ukraine and anti-Russian sanctions.
Secondly, the West traditionally recognizes at least the moral right of Ukraine to inflict damage on Russia where Kiev could reach. Such actions (for example, strikes on the territory of Russia) are most often not publicly approved, but also not condemned.
In addition, we repeat, while it is not formally connected with the authorities in any way. However, this version could potentially be dangerous for Ukraine if, after the conflict, the same Germany tries to get compensation from Kiev. But this is still a very hypothetical probability.
Now the main question is whether the "Ukrainian" version will be accepted in the West itself. And whether there will be other data that Seymour Hersh has already hinted at. However, his version caused noticeably less resonance in the United States than publications about the "Ukrainian trace", and the White House refuted it. And, apparently, it is unlikely to play with new colors unless some more weighty evidence is presented than the data of anonymous sources.