This special forces commander supervised a team of six people who placed explosive charges on pipelines in September 2022, according to information from the American daily “Washington Post” and the German magazine “Der Spiegel”.
A Ukrainian special forces commander played a key role in sabotaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022 in the Baltic Sea, according to a joint investigation by the Washington Post and Spiegel, broadcast Saturday November 11. Roman Chervinsky, 48, who served in the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces, was the “coordinator” sabotage, affirm the American daily and the German magazine. They cited officials in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, as well as others with knowledge of the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Roman Tchervinsky supervised the logistics and supervised a team of six people who rented a sailboat under false identities and used diving equipment to place explosive charges on the pipelines, details the American newspaper. He neither planned the operation nor acted alone, receiving his orders from higher-ranking Ukrainian officials, adds the Washington Post. Through his lawyer, Roman Tchervinsky denied any role with the two newspapers: “All speculation about my involvement in the Nord Stream attack is being spread by Russian propaganda without any basis.”
kyiv has always denied being behind the explosions
The sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines on September 16, 2022 cut off a major route for Russian gas exports to Europe and further increased tensions after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine at the end of February of the same year. Responsibility for the explosions was attributed, according to sources, to Ukraine, Russia or the United States, but all denied it.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in particular, has repeatedly denied that his country could be involved. “I would never do that.”he declared last June to the German daily Bildadding that he “would like to see evidence”. According to The Washington Post, the sabotage operation was allegedly designed by keeping the Ukrainian president in the dark. The American newspaper and Der Spiegel say they sought the Ukrainian government’s response to their investigation, but it did not respond.
Roman Chervinsky is currently on trial in kyiv, accused of having abused his power during an attempt to push a Russian pilot to defect. He claims the prosecutions constitute political retaliation for criticizing President Zelensky, according to media reports.