MOSCOW, August 15 Ukraine was not involved in the explosions of two Nord Stream gas pipelines, adviser to the head of Volodymyr Zelensky's office Mykhailo Podolyak said in an interview with Reuters.
«Such an operation can only be carried out with extensive technical and financial resources. <…> Ukraine is in no way connected with the explosion of Nord Stream,» he said.
On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed American, Ukrainian and European sources, published an article claiming that the order to blow up Nord Stream was given by Valeriy Zaluzhny, violating a direct order from Volodymyr Zelensky to stop operation.
Explosions on two gas pipelines through which Russia supplied gas to Europe — Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 — occurred on September 26, 2022. In March 2023, Western media reported that the sabotage could have been carried out by a certain «pro-Ukrainian group».
According to German publications, the sailing yacht Andromeda, registered in the port of Breege on the island of Rügen, was presumably used to prepare the explosions. It is alleged that remnants of underwater-grade octogen explosives were found on it.
According to media reports, the vessel was leased by the Warsaw-based company Feeria Lwowa, which was founded in 2016 and registered to two Ukrainians.
In this case, the German prosecutor's office issued an arrest warrant for Ukrainian diving instructor Vladimir Zh. He was allegedly driving a Citroen car, which the group involved in the sabotage was driving around the island of Rügen on September 8, 2022.