Operation Diameter: Ukraine's elite unit blew up the Nord Stream pipeline

[Starmix]

Accordong to the report, German police say they have identified the likely perpetrators of the September 2022 Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipeline bombings. The explosions released 350,000 tonnes of methane into the Baltic Sea and sparked a major geopolitical crisis, initially raising suspicions about the Kremlin, The Telegraph reports.According to investigators, the operation, allegedly called Diameter, was carried out by a group of six Ukrainian individuals. The key figure has been identified as "Sergey K.", a 49-year-old retired Ukrainian naval captain and former secret service officer who was detained by Italian police at a beach resort on the Adriatic Sea. He is scheduled to be extradited to Germany.The operation required a high level of preparation: four members of the team were experienced deep-sea divers who planted explosives on the seabed at a depth of 80 meters. For this, they rented the yacht "Andromeda", which looked like an ordinary tourist boat. The bombs were planted near the Danish island of Bornholm using high-grade military explosives.

The report also stated that the investigation has established a range of evidence linking the suspects: fingerprints, DNA, border control video cameras, mobile phone records and statements from a taxi driver who was used for transportation. There are also suspicions of official assistance, including a car registered to a military attaché at the Ukrainian embassy in Poland.German prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for all six suspects, who are charged with "jointly causing an explosion, unconstitutional sabotage and destruction of infrastructure". The value of the damaged pipelines is estimated at 20 billion pounds sterling, and the budget for the operation was only about 300 thousand dollars.The Ukrainian government denies authorizing the operation. According to the Wall Street Journal, President Volodymyr Zelensky allegedly tried to intervene, but the unit was already operating in "deep cover" and former commander-in-chief Valeriy Zaluzhny, now ambassador to London, allegedly ignored his instructions.Experts say the attack has served as a wake-up call to Western countries about the fragility of their energy infrastructure. "NATO is being forced to improve pipeline protection and use drone surveillance and other measures," says Ed Arnold of the Royal United Services Institute.If convicted, Sergei K. risks a long prison sentence, but upon returning to Ukraine he could be considered a national hero.