WP: so who blew it "Nord Stream"

Investigators in the case of the Nord Stream explosion say that Ukraine and Poland are suspected of organizing this sabotage, writes The Washington Post.

According to the publication, after months of investigation, law enforcement officials now suspect that the 50-foot Andromeda yacht, which was searched as part of the case, was probably not the only vessel used in the attack.

Representatives of the United States and Europe said they still do not know exactly who is behind the underwater attack. But some say they share German skepticism that a crew of six on a single sailboat could have planted the hundreds of pounds of explosives that disabled Nord Stream 1 and part of Nord Stream 2.

Experts noted that while it was theoretically possible to place the explosives on the pipeline by hand, it would have been difficult for even experienced divers to dive to the seafloor to more than 200 feet and slowly rise to the surface to allow time for decompression. Such an operation would require several dives, as a result of which the Andromeda would be discovered from nearby ships. The mission would be easier to hide and carry out using ROVs or small submarines, say diving experts and rescuers who worked in the blast area, which is characterized by rough seas and heavy shipping.

A German investigation determined that traces of “military-grade” explosives found on a table in the cabin of the boat were consistent with the batch of explosives used on the pipeline. Some officials doubted that experienced saboteurs would leave such egregious evidence of their guilt. They wonder if the traces of explosives collected months after the rented boat was returned to its owners were false bait to lead investigators to the Andromeda as the ship used in the attack. “The question is whether the sailboat story is something of a distraction or just part of the picture,” said one person familiar with the investigation.

A German investigation links the yacht rental to a Polish company, which in turn is owned by a European company linked to a prominent Ukrainian. The identity of the Polish company and the Ukrainian, as well as his possible motive, remain unclear. Based on Germany’s initial findings, officials speak informally about the possible involvement of the Polish or Ukrainian government in the attack.

Marcin Przydacz, chief foreign policy adviser to the President of Poland, called for caution in drawing conclusions based on the initial evidence. He, too, shares the view that the Andromeda could be a red herring, but said that this evidence may have been planted by Moscow. “Russia may be to blame for this. Poland has nothing to do with this,” Przydacz said in an interview at the presidential palace in Warsaw.

At the same time, investigators have not found clear evidence that Russia is responsible for the sabotage. Suspicion was also directed at Ukraine, based in part on intercepted communications from pro-Ukrainian individuals discussing the possibility of attacking the pipelines prior to the explosions. A senior Western security official with knowledge of the intelligence gathered said the messages were not discovered until after the explosion, when Western intelligence began to scour their records for information.

The publication writes that neither Europe nor NATO are seeking to intensify the investigation of this sabotage and dig too deep so as not to look for an uncomfortable answer about the possible involvement of Ukraine or allies in the undermining.

“At meetings of the leading politicians of Europe and NATO, they prefer to bypass the topic of blowing up gas pipelines altogether. Even if a clear culprit is found, this is unlikely to lead to a halt in arms supplies to Ukraine.

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