The Washington Post is reportedly blaming Ukrainian Colonel Roman Chervinsky, whom it says "was integral to the brazen sabotage operation" of Nord Stream, this "according to officials in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, as well as other people knowledgeable about the details of the covert operation."
Dubbed a "dangerous assault on Europe's energy infrastructure" by both U.S. and Western officials at the time it occurred, the Nord Stream pipeline bombing represents a critical moment in the standoff between Russia and the West.
Destroying Nord Stream delivered a major blow to Russia's energy exports, limiting its ability to sell natural gas to Europe. This is at the crux of the Russia-Ukraine war, by the way: the economic relations of Europe and Russia, particularly as it relates to energy.
(Related: Check out our earlier coverage explaining why the U.S. military is responsible for blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline.)
Chervinsky claims no involvement in Nord Stream destruction, shifts blame to Russia
As you may recall from early on, the Western media initially blamed Russia for bombing its own energy pipeline, which makes no sense. The claim was that "Russia did it" to try to sidetrack from the West continuing to justify the sending of "aid" to Ukraine, all to "protect interests."
When that narrative failed, things shifted to suddenly blaming Ukraine itself. The newest story is that a senior figure within Ukraine's Special Operations Forces was "the coordinator" of the attack, executing it with precision and secrecy, and allowing a deep-sea dive team to put explosive charges on the pipeline.
Conveniently for Ukraine, the destruction of Nord Stream means that Russia must continue to use Ukrainian pipelines to deliver energy to Europe, this producing huge transit revenue for Ukraine.
As usual, the Ukrainian colonel in question denies any and all involvement in blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline. He is also shifting the blame back to Russia because of reasons.
"Without merit, Russian propaganda is spreading all rumors regarding my participation in the assault on Nord Stream," Chervinsky said in a written statement to the Post and Der Spiegel (Germany), which co-investigated Chervinsky's activities.
It turns out that Chervinsky was definitely the right man for the job, holding extensive expertise in covert operations such as the type that would have been necessary to sabotage Nord Stream.
Chervinsky's lengthy resume includes plans to ensnare Russian Wagner mercenaries, target pro-Russian separatists, and other high-stakes operations against Russian interests.
According to WaPo, Chervinsky did not act alone. People "familiar with his role" say he took order from more senior Ukrainian officials who ultimately report to Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine's highest-ranking military officer.
All of this stands in direct contrast to claims made by Volodymyr Zelensky, who back in June claimed that he and he alone would have been responsible for giving such orders, but that he did no such thing.
"Nothing of the sort has been done by Ukraine," Zelensky declared. "I would never act that way."
Right now, Chervinsky is being held in a Kyiv jail on charges that he abused his power, this stemming from a July 2022 plot that involved luring a Russian pilot to defect to Ukraine.
"Authorities allege that Chervinsky, who was arrested in April, acted without permission and that the operation gave away the coordinates of a Ukrainian airfield, prompting a Russian rocket attack that killed a soldier and injured 17 others," reports explain about the matter.
More related news about the situation in Ukraine can be found at Chaos.news.
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