Washington is accused by Moscow of orchestrating the bombing of the North Stream.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has pointed the finger at the U.S., claiming they ordered the destruction of Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022. "It's obvious that the command for such an attack originated from the top, as they say, and the top for the West is undeniably Washington," Lavrov told the Russian newspaper "Izvestia" during a published video interview.
"There's no doubt that the Ukrainians wouldn't have pulled it off on their own," Lavrov further stated. Recently, it was revealed that the German Federal Prosecutor's Office has issued a first arrest warrant for a Ukrainian diver in relation to the incidents. He, along with two other Ukrainians, are under suspicion for their involvement in the Nord Stream sabotage.
According to the "Wall Street Journal" (WSJ), citing Ukrainian military sources, the explosions were orchestrated under the command of then Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny, and it was green-lit at the highest levels of the Ukrainian government - including the initial approval from President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, Zelensky reportedly halted the operation after an intervention from the U.S. CIA, but his orders were allegedly ignored. Kyiv dismissed the accusations as "complete nonsense."
The North Stream blasting incidents have been linked to the Ukrainian military, as reported by the "Wall Street Journal." According to their sources, the operation was potentially approved by former Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny and President Volodymyr Zelensky, although Zelensky denies any involvement.
