The latest overview compiled by US intelligence means that they had been opponents of President Vladimir Putin Although it doesn’t specify the members of the group, nor who directed or paid for the operation The new intelligence experiences symbolize the primary essential clue
The US mentioned it had no proof that President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine or his prime lieutenants had been concerned within the operation, or that the perpetrators had been performing on the route of any Ukrainian authorities official.
The assault on pure fuel pipelines, which hyperlink Russia to Western Europe, fueled public hypothesis about who was guilty, from Moscow to Kiev and from London to Washington, and stays one of many largest unsolved mysteries of the yr. From Russia.
There are not any agency conclusions
The latest overview compiled by US intelligence means that they had been opponents of President Vladimir Putin, though it doesn’t specify the members of the group, nor who directed or paid for the operation. US officers have refused to disclose the character of the intelligence, the way it was obtained or any particulars of the arduous proof it accommodates. They have mentioned that there are not any agency conclusions on this regard, which leaves open the chance that the operation was carried out with connections to the Ukrainian authorities or its safety providers.
Some preliminary US and European hypothesis centered on Russia’s doable culpability, particularly given its prowess in submarine operations, although it is unclear what motivation the Kremlin would have for sabotaging the pipelines provided that they’ve been a serious income. and a method for Moscow to exert affect over Europe. US officers say they’ve discovered no proof of Russian authorities involvement within the assault.
They additionally observe that they imagine the saboteurs had been seemingly Ukrainian or Russian residents, or some mixture of the 2, and say no US or British residents had been concerned.
specialised divers
The pipelines had been torn aside by a number of explosions in September. Two of the leaks had been registered within the NS1 to the northeast of the Danish island of Bornholm, and one other within the NS2 fuel pipeline, at a depth of 70 metres. A second that US officers described as an act of sabotage. For their half, European officers have mentioned publicly that they imagine the operation was seemingly state-sponsored, although US officers haven’t acknowledged so publicly.
According to the report, the explosives had been probably positioned with the assistance of skilled divers who “don’t look like working for the navy or intelligence providers.” But the perpetrators could have obtained specialised authorities coaching up to now.