According to research, German security authorities are following two leads in the case of the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines. Both lead to Ukraine. But the mystery is far from solved.
Who caused the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea in September? While there was speculation recently about the role of Russian naval ships in the vicinity of the gas pipes before the detonations, the Federal Public Prosecutor in Karlsruhe is pursuing two, according to research by Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (SZ) and other international media other tracks – both lead to the Ukraine.
According to media reports, the starting point is still the sailing yacht “Andromeda”, which was linked to the explosions on the seabed in March.
Nord Stream explosion: yacht leads to two lanes
The 15-meter-long boat was rented through a travel agency in Warsaw, which is believed to be a letterbox company. The president and shareholder of the company is said to be a woman living in Kiev. “However, it is doubtful whether she actually has anything to do with these deals – or whether she is just acting as a kind of straw woman. There are a number of indications that this is the case. Secret services regularly use letterbox companies to camouflage or finance operations,” write NDR and WDR . The role of the woman and the travel agent remains unclear.
However, the “Andromeda” leads to another lead, which the Federal Public Prosecutor is investigating. When renting the yacht in Rostock, the tenants are said to have presented forged passports, including a Romanian one. According to the research, the German investigators suspect that the false ID was used by a 26-year-old Ukrainian. He has connections to the Ukrainian military, including serving in an infantry unit. But the role of the man remains unclear.
The two traces are further parts of a puzzle that the investigators want to solve – the picture is far from complete. “In one respect at least, the investigators seem to be sure,” writes the SZ: “They allegedly have no indications that someone could have laid the wrong trail.” And the Russian naval ships that cruised around the Nord Stream pipelines are apparently not currently in the focus of the Federal Public Prosecutor and the Federal Criminal Police Office. According to German security circles, there is no evidence that they were actually involved in the attacks.
The explosions of the steel pipes will keep the public and investigators busy for a long time after the new leads have been found. The investigations continue, not only from the German side.
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Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
