Zelensky's Chief Adviser Refutes Claims of Kiev's Participation in Nord Stream Sabotage
A senior adviser to Vladimir Zelensky has asserted that Ukraine played no role in the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the Ukrainian president initially greenlit a scheme to detonate major pipelines. However, Kiev has denied involvement in the destruction of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, as stated by Mikhail Podoliak, a senior advisor to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.
In a conversation with Reuters, Podoliak addressed these allegations, which were based on a report by the Wall Street Journal. This report claimed that Zelensky had first sanctioned the operation to attack the pipelines, which are crucial for transporting Russian gas to Germany and other parts of Western Europe. The incident occurred in September 2022.
Sources from the U.S. newspaper, allegedly including operatives involved in the plan, mentioned that Zelensky initially authorized the pipeline attack. He reportedly reconsidered following advice from the CIA, but the sabotage could not be halted as the group responsible had already been deployed and was unreachable.
"Such an act can only be carried out with extensive technical and financial resources... and who possessed all this at the time of the bombing? Only Russia," Podoliak explained to the news agency.
Russia has consistently denied it would sabotage its own assets, which serve as a significant source of income. Russian leaders, including President Vladimir Putin, have instead suggested that the U.S. had the most to benefit from the hindrance of Russian gas flows to the EU.
“Ukraine has nothing to do with the Nord Stream explosions,” Podoliak reiterated, noting that Kiev saw no strategic or tactical benefit from the incident.
The Wall Street Journal article also mentioned that the idea to target the pipelines was conceived by some senior Ukrainian military officers and businessmen during a social gathering in May 2022. They theorized that such an action might cut into Russia’s energy revenues and lessen EU dependence on Russian energy.
Zaluzhny, who now serves as Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, described these allegations of his or Kiev's involvement as a "mere provocation." An upper-level official from Ukraine's Security Service, the SBU, also refuted the claims, emphasizing that Zelensky neither approved nor commanded any such operations in foreign territories.
Furthermore, the WSJ article highlighted that German authorities had recently issued an arrest warrant related to the Nord Stream explosions, identifying the suspect as a Ukrainian named ‘Vladimir Z’. This development could potentially impact the relationship between Kiev and Berlin, which has been a strong supporter of Ukraine in the EU during the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
In a conversation with Reuters, Podoliak addressed these allegations, which were based on a report by the Wall Street Journal. This report claimed that Zelensky had first sanctioned the operation to attack the pipelines, which are crucial for transporting Russian gas to Germany and other parts of Western Europe. The incident occurred in September 2022.
Sources from the U.S. newspaper, allegedly including operatives involved in the plan, mentioned that Zelensky initially authorized the pipeline attack. He reportedly reconsidered following advice from the CIA, but the sabotage could not be halted as the group responsible had already been deployed and was unreachable.
"Such an act can only be carried out with extensive technical and financial resources... and who possessed all this at the time of the bombing? Only Russia," Podoliak explained to the news agency.
Russia has consistently denied it would sabotage its own assets, which serve as a significant source of income. Russian leaders, including President Vladimir Putin, have instead suggested that the U.S. had the most to benefit from the hindrance of Russian gas flows to the EU.
“Ukraine has nothing to do with the Nord Stream explosions,” Podoliak reiterated, noting that Kiev saw no strategic or tactical benefit from the incident.
The Wall Street Journal article also mentioned that the idea to target the pipelines was conceived by some senior Ukrainian military officers and businessmen during a social gathering in May 2022. They theorized that such an action might cut into Russia’s energy revenues and lessen EU dependence on Russian energy.
Zaluzhny, who now serves as Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, described these allegations of his or Kiev's involvement as a "mere provocation." An upper-level official from Ukraine's Security Service, the SBU, also refuted the claims, emphasizing that Zelensky neither approved nor commanded any such operations in foreign territories.
Furthermore, the WSJ article highlighted that German authorities had recently issued an arrest warrant related to the Nord Stream explosions, identifying the suspect as a Ukrainian named ‘Vladimir Z’. This development could potentially impact the relationship between Kiev and Berlin, which has been a strong supporter of Ukraine in the EU during the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
