Polish Officials Deny Involvement in Nord Stream Sabotage

WARSAW (Reuters) – Claims that Ukrainian authorities, supported by Poland, orchestrated the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022 are unfounded, according to the Polish president’s aide.

Former German intelligence chief August Hanning stated in Die Welt that he believed there were agreements between the presidents of Poland and Ukraine to execute the attack.

Mieszko Pawlak, head of the international policy bureau at President Andrzej Duda’s office, dismissed these claims as “completely groundless” when asked about them by Polsat broadcaster. Pawlak noted that Hanning served under former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder during the development of Nord Stream 1, implying that Hanning was part of the project’s oversight.

Recent reports indicated that German prosecutors had identified a Ukrainian diving instructor as a prime suspect in the Nord Stream sabotage and issued a warrant for his arrest in Poland. However, Polish prosecutors revealed that the suspect has left the country because Germany did not include his name in the wanted persons database.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded on the X platform, urging those involved in Nord Stream 1 and 2 to apologize and refrain from further comments, without directly addressing the allegations.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that private businessmen financed the Nord Stream sabotage, allegedly overseen by a top Ukrainian general, though Ukraine has denied any role.

The pipeline, crucial for Russian gas exports to Germany, was heavily utilized before the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.