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A Russian navy ship specializing in submarine operations was photographed near the Nord Stream gas pipelines before the mysterious explosions occurred in September, Danish daily Information reported on Friday.
The newspaper said the submarine rescue ship SS-750 was photographed in the Baltic Sea four days before unexplained explosions on pipelines linking Russia with Germany.
The SS-750 has its own mini-submarine, called the AS-26, which can reach depths of up to 262 feet (80 meters) and carry payloads of up to 50 kg.
The information said that the Danish military confirmed that 26 photos of a Russian ship were taken from a Danish patrol boat in the area east of Bornholm on September 22, 2022.
The Danish army did not respond to a request for comment.
The newspaper said the SS-750 submarine rescue vessel (file photo) was photographed in the Baltic Sea four days before the still unexplained explosions on the pipelines linking Russia with Germany.
In this file photo taken on September 27, 2022, this released photo released by the Danish Defense Command shows the gas leak at the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
Seven months after the stunning explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, who was responsible has yet to be determined despite criminal investigations in the countries neighboring the affected part of the pipeline – Germany, Sweden and Denmark.
The New York Times reported in March that US officials had seen new intelligence indicating that a “pro-Ukrainian group” was responsible, without the involvement of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
German prosecutors said afterward that in January, investigators had searched a ship suspected of carrying explosives used in the bombings.
The public prosecutor leading the investigation in Sweden said in March it was “still not clear” who was behind the vandalism, describing it as a “complicated case”.
“Our basic assumption is that the state is behind it,” Mats told Ljungqvist.
He added, “It’s possible that the people who did this knew they were going to leave evidence behind and were probably careful that the evidence points not in one direction, but in several directions.”
Former Danish intelligence officer turned analyst Jacob Carsbaugh told INFORMATION that the SS-750’s presence in the area “sheds light on what was going on in the area in the days before.”
He said the confirmation was particularly important “because we know he is capable of carrying out such an operation”.
Earlier this month, Russia was alleged to be using ‘ghost’ spy ships masquerading as trawlers off the coast of the UK to map wind farms and communications cables for sabotage attacks should it go to war with the West.
Reportedly, the fleet of Russian ships, disguised as fishing trawlers and research vessels, is sailing across the North Sea to collect data on the whereabouts of wind farms and gas pipelines as well as electricity and internet cables.
Ships conduct underwater surveillance to determine how infrastructure is connected with the aim of planning sabotage attacks against the West, a documentary broadcast by public broadcasters in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
Intelligence sources have warned that Russia aims to plan sabotage attacks if it goes to war with the West, with the aim of crippling energy supplies in Europe.
“In the event of a conflict with the West, they are ready and know where to intervene if they want to cripple Danish society,” said Anders Henriksen, head of counterintelligence from the Danish police intelligence service. Denmark DR.
“This is a strategic capability for Russia, which is very important and is controlled directly from Moscow,” added Nils Andreas Stensons, head of the Norwegian Intelligence Service.
Radio communications intercepted from the Russian Navy have revealed that Russia uses “ghost ships” in the North Sea. These ships have turned off their transmitters and are therefore untraceable in international waters.
A Russian investigation has alleged that Russia is using ‘ghost’ spy ships masquerading as fishing boats off the coast of the United Kingdom to map wind farms and communications cables for sabotage attacks should it go to war with the West. Last November, Admiral Vladimirsky (pictured) sailed around the Kattegat Sea between Denmark and Sweden without sharing his position for a month.
Video shows a masked man holding a Russian military semi-automatic rifle stepping forward on the upper deck as a DR journalist approaches Admiral Vladimirsky in a rubber boat. A number of other men also stepped forward
The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed the media allegations as “false” and “baseless,” and reiterated its appeal for a “transparent and impartial international investigation” into the Nord Stream gas pipeline sabotage in September 2022.
Meanwhile, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson deemed the documentary’s allegations “serious”.
“It just goes to show that we have a very serious situation in our immediate vicinity,” he told reporters at a naval base in southern Sweden.
Broadcasters DR in Denmark, NRK in Norway, SVT in Sweden and Yle in Finland all pointed out how the Russian Navy ship Admiral Vladimirsky is being used to gather intelligence — rather than conducting ocean research as Russia says.