Poland and Ukraine deny it; Russia determined to find the real mastermind

According to RIA Novosti news agency, on August 19, Director of the 3rd European Department (Russian Foreign Ministry) Oleg Tyapkin said that the country has officially asked Germany to investigate the Nord Stream pipeline explosions.

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines transporting gas under the Baltic Sea were ruptured by a series of explosions in September 2022. (Source: AFP)

According to Mr. Tyapkin, Russia has asked Germany and other relevant countries to fulfill their obligations under the United Nations (UN) anti-terrorism conventions regarding the Nord Stream pipeline explosions.

Recently, German authorities issued an arrest warrant for one of the suspects, a Ukrainian citizen.

However, German media reported that this subject acted independently and was not related to any country.

This could lead to the investigation being closed without identifying the real mastermind, Mr. Tyapkin said. Russia is therefore seeking negotiations under existing international rules, and Moscow’s next steps will depend on the West’s reaction.

* Previously, on August 14, German media reported that prosecutors had issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian diving instructor, named only as Volodymyr Z., accused of being one of the divers who planted explosive devices in the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022.

Germany requested the arrest of the suspect across Europe in June. German investigators also identified two more Ukrainians, a man and a woman, who are believed to have also served as divers in the attacks.

However, no arrest warrants have been issued for these two people.

* Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski denied that his country was involved in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea that took place in September 2022.

Speaking on Polsat News TV, Mr. Gawkowski declared: "Poland is not involved in any action. It must be made clear that this is a lie."

The statement was made by Mr. Gawkowski after former German intelligence chief August Hanning accused Poland of collaborating with Ukraine in the sabotage.

"It seems that a group of Ukrainians acted, according to the investigation... It is clear that the Polish authorities were involved," Hanning told Die Welt newspaper in an interview. He also called on Germany to demand compensation from Kiev and Warsaw.

Deputy Prime Minister Gawkowski firmly denied this allegation. Ukraine also said that the accusation of Kiev's involvement in this sabotage was "completely absurd".

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines carrying gas under the Baltic Sea were ruptured by a series of explosions in September 2022.

The explosions affected three of the four Nord Stream pipelines.

Germany, Denmark and Sweden launched investigations, with Sweden finding traces of explosives on some of the objects recovered from the scene, confirming the explosions were deliberate.

Sweden and Denmark closed their investigations in February this year, but without identifying any suspects.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/su-co-dong-chay-phuong-bac-ba-lan-va-ukraine-mot-muc-phu-nhan-nga-quyet-tam-tim-ke-chu-muu-thuc-su-283161.html