Expert Challenges Claims that Ukrainians Were Responsible for Nord Stream Explosions
According to a prominent diver speaking to Bild, explosions similar to those that obliterated the Nord Stream pipelines require substantial heavy machinery and a ship's loader crane. Read Full Article at RT.com
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Explosions of such scale require heavy equipment, including a large ship with a loader crane, a renowned diver has told Bild.
A narrative pushed by the Western media about a small team of Ukrainian divers being responsible for the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022 is hard to believe, Dr. Sven Thomas, a prominent German diving specialist, conveyed to Bild over the weekend.
The damage inflicted upon the Russian undersea pipelines indicates that far more powerful explosives and a significantly larger vessel were involved in the operation, he stated, emphasizing that the small yacht frequently mentioned in reports would never be adequate.
American and German media outlets have consistently asserted that the blasts were connected to a small Ukrainian crew that rented a leisure yacht named Andromeda from a German port, embarking with only diving equipment, satellite navigation, and open-source maps. It has been reported that the operation received approval from Ukraine’s then-commander in chief, Valery Zaluzhny.
In August, various media reported that German authorities had issued an international arrest warrant for a suspect linked to the incident, identified as Volodymyr Z, a Ukrainian diver.
“There must have been at least one more team to cause the huge explosions,” Dr. Thomas remarked, noting his position as head of a state-backed life-saving service in Halle, Germany. He expressed “serious doubts” about the narrative connecting the incident to a mere six-member Ukrainian crew using a 15-meter-long leisure yacht.
Dr. Thomas explained that divers working at a mere 34 meters deep in a lake would require a minimum of four anchors secured to a vessel to maintain stability. In contrast, the Andromeda reportedly had only one 25-kilogram anchor and a 100-meter chain, while its crew was said to have dived at depths between 80 and 90 meters in the sea, an assertion Dr. Thomas deemed “impossible” given his extensive experience in diving operations.
The total weight of the equipment essential for such an undertaking, according to Thomas, would be approximately four tons. He added that seismic records of the explosions indicate that several charges equivalent to 400 kilograms of TNT were needed to damage the pipelines.
“They cannot drop such bomb charges into water without a crane and a counterweight; the vessel would just capsize otherwise,” Thomas asserted. He also pointed out that the pipelines were “crushed like a tin can,” which suggests the damage was the result of powerful nearby explosions rather than minor charges attached directly to the pipelines.
In Thomas's view, this evidence points to military-grade bottom mines with a yield of around 1260 kilograms of TNT. Only a large vessel equipped with a crane could deploy such mines, he informed Bild. While he speculated that Andromeda could have been involved in one of the four blasts—likely from a small explosive charge placed directly on one of the pipelines—his broader conclusions challenged the prevailing narrative.
Moscow has dismissed the Western media’s claims implicating Andromeda as implausible. President Vladimir Putin has consistently suggested that the explosions were executed by professionals with the backing of “the full might of the state, which has certain technologies,” hinting that the US was “probably” involved. Last month, Danish media reported the presence of US Navy warships operating near the Nord Stream pipelines shortly before the blasts occurred.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
A narrative pushed by the Western media about a small team of Ukrainian divers being responsible for the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022 is hard to believe, Dr. Sven Thomas, a prominent German diving specialist, conveyed to Bild over the weekend.
The damage inflicted upon the Russian undersea pipelines indicates that far more powerful explosives and a significantly larger vessel were involved in the operation, he stated, emphasizing that the small yacht frequently mentioned in reports would never be adequate.
American and German media outlets have consistently asserted that the blasts were connected to a small Ukrainian crew that rented a leisure yacht named Andromeda from a German port, embarking with only diving equipment, satellite navigation, and open-source maps. It has been reported that the operation received approval from Ukraine’s then-commander in chief, Valery Zaluzhny.
In August, various media reported that German authorities had issued an international arrest warrant for a suspect linked to the incident, identified as Volodymyr Z, a Ukrainian diver.
“There must have been at least one more team to cause the huge explosions,” Dr. Thomas remarked, noting his position as head of a state-backed life-saving service in Halle, Germany. He expressed “serious doubts” about the narrative connecting the incident to a mere six-member Ukrainian crew using a 15-meter-long leisure yacht.
Dr. Thomas explained that divers working at a mere 34 meters deep in a lake would require a minimum of four anchors secured to a vessel to maintain stability. In contrast, the Andromeda reportedly had only one 25-kilogram anchor and a 100-meter chain, while its crew was said to have dived at depths between 80 and 90 meters in the sea, an assertion Dr. Thomas deemed “impossible” given his extensive experience in diving operations.
The total weight of the equipment essential for such an undertaking, according to Thomas, would be approximately four tons. He added that seismic records of the explosions indicate that several charges equivalent to 400 kilograms of TNT were needed to damage the pipelines.
“They cannot drop such bomb charges into water without a crane and a counterweight; the vessel would just capsize otherwise,” Thomas asserted. He also pointed out that the pipelines were “crushed like a tin can,” which suggests the damage was the result of powerful nearby explosions rather than minor charges attached directly to the pipelines.
In Thomas's view, this evidence points to military-grade bottom mines with a yield of around 1260 kilograms of TNT. Only a large vessel equipped with a crane could deploy such mines, he informed Bild. While he speculated that Andromeda could have been involved in one of the four blasts—likely from a small explosive charge placed directly on one of the pipelines—his broader conclusions challenged the prevailing narrative.
Moscow has dismissed the Western media’s claims implicating Andromeda as implausible. President Vladimir Putin has consistently suggested that the explosions were executed by professionals with the backing of “the full might of the state, which has certain technologies,” hinting that the US was “probably” involved. Last month, Danish media reported the presence of US Navy warships operating near the Nord Stream pipelines shortly before the blasts occurred.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
