Putin aide says Nord Stream pipelines sabotage happened with help of Western commandos

(MENAFN) A senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage could not have been executed without Western military expertise, pointing to Britain as a likely participant.

Explosions in September 2022 disrupted the twin pipelines transporting Russian gas to Germany through the Baltic Sea. While German prosecutors have blamed a group of Ukrainian nationals, a former Russian security chief argued that Ukrainians would not have the technical ability to carry out such a sophisticated operation alone.

The sabotage was probably “planned, overseen, and executed with the involvement of highly trained NATO special forces,” the aide wrote, emphasizing that the operation required expertise in deep-sea missions and familiarity with the Baltic region.

“Few armies or intelligence services have divers capable of executing such an operation correctly and, above all, covertly. One unit with the necessary skills is the British Special Boat Service,” he added. The SBS, established during World War II, is the Royal Navy’s elite force specializing in amphibious missions.

Russia has criticized the German investigation for lacking transparency and excluding Russian authorities. In 2024, the country’s intelligence service claimed it had “credible information” suggesting direct US and UK involvement, an allegation denied by both governments.

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