Nord Stream Saboteur

A high-ranking Ukrainian military officer was responsible for the September 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, according to new media reports. Several nations have opened investigations into the attack, which reduced Europe's oil supply ahead of last winter (see previous write-up).

Roman Chervinsky, a 48-year-old colonel with ties to the intelligence community, reportedly coordinated the six-person operation, though sources claim senior generals initiated the plot. The team reportedly rented a sailboat and used deep-sea diving equipment to lay bombs on the steel and concrete pipelines in the Baltic Sea. Chervinsky is currently jailed in Ukraine, awaiting trial for alleged abuse of power in a separate case. He denied involvement in the pipeline sabotage and claimed the allegations are Kyiv's retribution for his past criticism of the administration.

Sources also claim Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has consistently denied Ukraine's involvement, was intentionally kept out of the loop of the mission. See updates on the war here.