Russian Navy Ship Spotted Near Nord Stream Pipelines Days Before The Blasts, Report Says

A navy vessel from Russia was observed near the Nord Stream gas pipelines about four days before they got sabotaged by explosions, per a new report.

Credits: CNN / YouTube

The SS-750 navy vessel, which is loaded with a small submarine, was tracked down by a Danish patrol vessel in the Baltic Sea close to the sites of explosions, per information in a Danish newspaper.

The Danish military further confirmed that it took 26 photos of the ship on 22 September 2022 but said that the photos were classified.

The prosecutor who was leading Sweden’s examination, Mats Ljungqvist, reportedly confirmed the existence of these photographs that were earlier not known to the larger public.

Ljungqvist said he wouldn’t be able to comment on the significance of the photos to the examination.

It has been reported that many other Russian vessels had been clicked in the area, but this is the first time it has been confirmed that the SS-750 was observed.

It has been incredibly interesting. The SS-750 is a special vessel that’s designed for advanced underwater operations, explained intelligence specialist Joakim von Braun.

An ex-Danish intelligence officer and now an analyst, Jacob Kaarsbo, elaborated that the information reflects what was going on in the area in the prior days.

The SS-750 happens to be the most interesting ship to confirm since they know it holds the capacity to execute such an operation, Kaarsbo mentioned.

International authorities are investigating following a series of underwater bombings striking the gas pipelines which transported natural gas to Germany from Russia in September 2022.

Several Western analysts and US officials suspected that Russia was linked to the sabotage, which Russia has denied.

Investigations are yet to share the conclusive results, and Russia has, at times, without evidence, blamed the US. In March 2023, The NY Times reported that intelligence highlighted that a pro-Ukrainian group not affiliated with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may have been associated with the attack.

The government of Ukraine has reportedly denied involvement, and Russia’s President Putin has also dismissed this theory.

The Nord Stream 1 2 pipelines weren’t operational during the attack owing to disputes between the EU and Russia.

Reference: Wion, Business Insider

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Source: Maritime Shipping News