48-year-old Ukrainian colonel Roman Chervinskyi, who served in Ukraine’s special forces and has close ties to the country’s special services, coordinated the operation to sabotage the Nord Stream gas pipeline in 2022, multiple sources told The Washington Post, The Moscow Times notes. .

WP sources, who wished to remain anonymous, say that Czerwinski did not plan the operation and did not act alone.

The senior officer handled logistics and supported a group of six who used false identities to hire the boat and diving equipment used to plant the explosives that damaged the pipelines.

Although he allegedly coordinated the sabotage operation, the orders came from senior Ukrainian officials, and all information eventually reached General Valery Zaluzhny, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army.

Through his lawyer, Chervinsky denied any involvement in pipeline sabotage and stated that the information about his involvement “is being baselessly spread by Russian propaganda.”

So far, Kyiv has not reacted in any way to the revelations of The Washington Post.

In March 2023, Ukraine denied involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines after information appeared in the international press about the involvement of a “pro-Ukrainian group”.

Who is Colonel Chervinskyi?

Colonel Roman Chervinskyi is close to military leaders and over time participated in other secret operations conducted by Kyiv.

From the beginning of the war, Chervinskyi was part of the Ukrainian special forces and performed missions in the territories occupied by Russia. His direct superior was Major General Viktor Hanushchak, who communicated directly with Zaluyny.

According to sources cited by WP, Chervinskyi was allegedly chosen to coordinate the diversion because he previously held senior positions in Ukraine’s military intelligence and security services and had close ties to military and security leaders.

Chervinskyi is currently behind bars in the Kyiv colony on charges of abuse of power. The colonel allegedly revealed the coordinates of the airfield, which was later bombed by the Russians, as a result of which one serviceman was killed and 17 others were injured.

The reason for the disclosure was an action for which he allegedly did not have permission: he tried to induce a Russian military pilot to defect in July 2022.

Chervinsky claims that in fact the operation was approved, and he is now imprisoned for criticizing the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

The colonel also predicted that he suspects one of the closest advisers of the head of state, Andriy Yermak, of spying for Russia, but did not provide evidence on this matter.

According to WP sources, the sabotage operation would have been carried out without Zelensky’s knowledge. Ukraine’s army chief was getting all the information, according to leaked CIA documents that hit the Internet after US military Jack Teixeira, the man behind the Pentagon leak scandal who was accused of leaking classified information, posted them on Discord.