Tuesday, November 28, 2023

092 - The origin of "remote detonated explosives" claim used for destroying Nordstream in the news

Remote explosives or old reliable timers?

1. Google News:

These news on 27, 28th and 29th of September seem to be first which mention remote triggered explosives - here (keyword search "Nord Stream remote explosives"):



27 Oct 2022 - BLACK OPS How divers from Putin’s special ops sabotage unit could have blown up Nord Stream gas pipeline right under Nato’s noses

A CRACK force of divers from a shadowy Russian special ops unit could be behind the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline, security experts have claimed.

Spetsnaz frogmen - a secretive branch of the Russian military - and underwater drones could have been deployed to blow up the strategically-important supply route...

Western leaders have accused Russia of sabotaging the line to stoke an energy crisis in Europe ahead of winter. 

Royal Danish Defence College researcher Anders Puck Nielsen echoed those concerns, saying that Putin's frogmen could easily hoist remote-controlled explosives onto the pipeline.

[MRT: this is the claim that explosives were delivered by a pigging equipment]  

28 Sept 2022 - Leaks to Nord Stream pipelines were likely a premeditated attack using explosive devices detonated remotely, says British defence source (The Sun)

The source said any mines could have been lowered to the seabed on a long line, dropped over the side of a boat or placed next to the Nord Stream pipelines with an underwater drone months or even years ago.

A suspected act of sabotage - possibly by Russia - against gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea was likely a premeditated attack using underwater explosive devices detonated remotely, according to a British defence source.

[MRT: this news looks like the first one using the remote controlled explosives]   

28 Sept 2022 - EEP COVER Inside Russia elite ‘Frogmen’ special forces armed with underwater guns and fleet of trained killer dolphins

RUSSIAN special forces are one of the prime suspects in the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines which has triggered a disaster in the Baltic Sea.

Vladimir Putin's regime are feared to have attacked the key gas link in an effort to continue stoking the brewing energy war with Europe amid tensions over Ukraine.

Behind the attack could have been the so-called "Frogmen" special forces commandos - who work for both the Russian Navy and Putin's spies, the GRU, who were behind the Salisbury poisonings in 2018.

It is feared Russia could have either used deep sea divers or drone submarines to trigger massive explosions which blew two holes in Nord Stream 1 and one hole in Nord Stream 2.

Putin's equivalent of the SAS, Spetsnaz troopers have a reputation for being well armed, highly trained and ruthless.

And the so-called "Frogmen" with their all-black wet suits and distinctive underwater guns are specialised to carry out operations in the deep.

PIPELINE PANIC

The frogmen are also trained that if the guns don't work, they switch over to blades for brutal underwater combat.

But as drones become more and more prevalent - so have the frogmen adapted, bringing remote controlled mini subs into their arsenal.

2. Twitter/X

The first mention of the keyword search "Nord Stream explosives remotely" is here 

27 Sept 2022 - this tweet which leads to the The Guardian news:

27 Sept 2022Whether or not Russia was behind the Nord Stream blasts, little was at stake  

It may never be possible to determine definitively whether Monday’s underwater explosions at the two Nord Stream gas pipelines were the work of Russian sabotage, but it is certainly the way to bet.

The incidents took place close to – but just outside – the 12-mile territorial waters of Denmark’s Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, the kind of calibration that might be expected from a state actor mindful of the country’s Nato membership.

One British military source speculated that mines may have been discreetly laid from a disguised commercial vessel and detonated days or weeks later. That would be an operation that would need to have been undertaken with some care, but not particularly specialised military resources.

This last part is guesswork and western officials were quick to stress on Tuesday that the explosions appeared to have affected Russian-owned assets.

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline between Russia and Germany is 51% owned by Gazprom, the St Petersburg-headquartered energy giant, while Nord Stream 2 is owned by a Swiss subsidiary of the same company. None of those assets would, by this thinking, demand any kind of Nato or other western military response.

29 Sept 2022 - The Nord Stream pipelines were likely attacked with remotely detonated explosives, says UK defense source: report

A UK defense source says the Nord Stream pipelines were likely attacked with remote explosives.

The source told Sky News the bombs could have been planted years before the leaks occurred.

A source within the British defense force said that the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were likely attacked with remotely-detonated explosives.

Speaking to Sky News, the unnamed source said the leak in both pipelines was likely the result of a pre-planned attack.

The source told the outlet that mines could have been planted along the underwater pipelines using a long line, by dropping them from a boat, or with a drone, months or years before the attack.

The British source's message to Sky News came the same day that CNN reported on new information regarding the pipeline leaks.

29 Sept 2022 - First on CNN: European security officials observed Russian Navy ships in vicinity of Nord Stream pipeline leaks

CNN — European security officials on Monday and Tuesday observed Russian Navy support ships in the vicinity of leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines likely caused by underwater explosions, according two Western intelligence officials and one other source familiar with the matter.

It’s unclear whether the ships had anything to do with those explosions, these sources and others said – but it’s one of the many factors that investigators will be looking into.

Russian submarines were also observed not far from those areas last week, one of the intelligence officials said.

 

RELATED POSTS:




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Monday, November 27, 2023

091 - TRUSS - But this cannot be a one-off

 Was the Nordstream affaitr one-off or was there more?


21 Sept 2022 - UK Prime Minister Truss addresses the United Nations General Assembly (transcript here)

01:00 min: "...Geopolitics is entering a new era.."

06:00 min: "We are cutting off the toxic power and pipelines from authoritarian regimes and strengthening our energy resilience."
 
"We will ensure we cannot be coerced or harmed by the reckless actions of rogue actors abroad."

"The free world needs this economic strength and resilience to push back against authoritarian aggression and win this new era of strategic competition.

We must do this together."

We are fortifying our deep security alliances in Europe and beyond through NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force.

08:30 min: "The UK is providing funding, using the might of the City of London and our security capabilities to provide better alternatives to those offered by malign regimes.
The resolute international response to Ukraine has shown how we can deliver decisive collective action. 
The response has been built on partnerships and alliances and also on being prepared to use new instruments – unprecedented sanctions, diplomatic action, and rapid military support. 
There has been a strength of collective purpose – we have met many times, spoken many times on the phone, we have made things happen.
Now we must use these instruments in a more systematic way to push back on the economic aggression of authoritarian regimes.
The G7 and our like-minded partners should act as an economic NATO, collectively defending our prosperity.

If the economy of a partner is being targeted by an aggressive regime we should act to support them. All for one and one for all.

12:00 min "In all these areas, on all of the fronts, the time to act is now. This is a decisive moment in our history, in the history of this organization and in the history of freedom...

The story of 2022 could have been that of an authoritarian state rolling its tanks over the border of a peaceful neighbour and subjugating its people.

Instead, it is the story of freedom fighting back.

In the face of rising aggression we have shown we have the power to act and the resolve to see it through.

But this cannot be a one-off.

Russian federation: 

29 Oct 2022 - Russia’s MoD: UK’s naval service is behind Sevastopol drone attacks and Nord Stream explosion

Russia’s Defence Ministry claims that His Majesty’s Naval Service took part in today’s drone attack against Russia’s warships in Crimea’s Sevastopol, as well as the blowing up of the Nord Stream pipelines, the agency’s Telegram says.

As per the Defence Ministry’s theory, the preparation for the attack on the Black Sea fleet, which the agency labels as “a terrorist attack,” as well as the training for Ukraine’s servicemen was conducted by “British specialists, stationed in Ochakiv, the Mykolaiv region,” reads the statement.

“As per the information we have, the representatives of UK’s navy have also taken part in planning, supplying, and executing the terrorist attack in the Baltic Sea on 26 September when Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines exploded,” reads the statement.


“According to available information, Royal Navy representatives took part in the planning and implementation of a terrorist act in the Baltic Sea on September 26 to blow up the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines”, the MoD said in a statement on Saturday, Sputnik reported.

The Russian Prosecutor General's Office classified the pipeline blasts as acts of international terrorism. According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the investigation of terrorist attacks can only be considered reliable and objective if Moscow takes part in the probe.

In 1980, the Polaris program was discontinued and replaced with the Trident program. The Trident program’s headquarters are located at the Clyde Naval Base in Faslane. Even though it has its independent nuclear deterrent, the United Kingdom produces and maintains the missiles that make up Trident. While the United Kingdom is responsible for constructing the Vanguard submarines, the United States is in charge of missile production.
 
30 Oct 2022 - Russia Blames UK Navy For ‘Terror Attack’ On Nord Stream Pipelines

“Representatives of this unit of the British Navy took part in the planning, provision, and implementation of a terrorist attack in the Baltic Sea on Sept. 26 that blew up the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.


30 Oct 2022 - Russia 'unfriendly countries' list expands, UK territories added

1 Nov 2022 - British Special Boat Service Accused Of Nord Stream Pipeline

1 Nov 2022 - Russia’s defence ministry said on Saturday that British navy personnel had blown up the Nord Stream pipelines in September.

1 Nov 2022 - Russia asks UK's ex-premier about explosions at Nord Stream pipelines

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on Tuesday urged the former UK prime minister to explain her message allegedly sent to the US secretary of state right after the accident at Nord Stream gas pipelines at the Baltic Sea.

"Honestly, I don't care who and how (they) got this information. I am interested in London's response to the following question: Did Britain's Prime Minister Liz Truss send a message to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken right after the explosion at Nord Stream gas pipeline with the words 'it's done?'," Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram.

Zakharova added that "millions of people all over the world are waiting for an answer to this question," stressing that they "have the right to know what happened to the global energy security and what is the role of Anglo-Saxons in the committed terrorist attack."

1 Nov 2022 - Russia accuses UK of involvement in attack on Black Sea fleet, Nord Stream gas pipelines

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Moscow mulling retaliatory steps

The Kremlin on Tuesday said Russia's intelligence has information about London's involvement in attacks on Nord Stream gas pipelines and its Black Sea fleet in the port of Sevastopol.

"Our special services ... have evidence that the leadership and coordination of the attack on Sevastopol Bay was carried out by British military consultants."

"There is also evidence that Britain is involved in sabotage ... a terrorist act on critical energy infrastructure, the Nord Stream pipelines," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told at a press briefing in Moscow.

Moscow expects that despite the silence, European capitals will analyze the information on London's involvement in attack on Nord Stream gas pipelines, Peskov said.

"We cannot leave such actions for nothing. We will think over further steps. ... We will do what we have to do," he stressed.

1 Nov 2022 - Russia Considers Retaliation Against UK After Blaming Royal Navy For Nord Stream Blast

Russia said on Tuesday it was considering what “further steps” to take in connection with its allegation that Britain was responsible for an attack on the Nord Stream undersea gas pipelines.

Russia’s defense ministry said on Saturday that British navy personnel had blown up the Nord Stream pipelines in September, an assertion that London said was false and designed to distract from Russian military failures in Ukraine.

There is evidence that Britain is involved in sabotage … a terrorist act against vital energy infrastructure,”Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“Such actions cannot be put aside. Of course, we will think about further steps. It definitely cannot be left like this,” Peskov said.

The United Kingdon

3 Nov 2022 - UK’s Defence Committee refused access to UK Special Forces in heated debate with Defence Minister.

In a British Parliamentary Deference Select Committee on the 2nd November, 2022, the UK Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, has been challenged for his failure to permit members of the Defence Select Committee access to UK Special Forces.

In a heated exchanged, the Committee chair, Tobias Ellwood MP said that the UK Special Forces were not the best in the world ‘about scrutiny’, and that the Special Forces – including units such as the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Services (SBS) – were “not above scrutiny.”

When asked if the Ministry of Defence could facilitate a visit to Hereford, home of the SAS, the Deference Minister said “no” and went on to argue that “this committee does not have oversight of Special Forces and its operations.”

The chair of the Defence Committee disagreed, saying: “I’m sorry, we have oversight of the Armed Forces in the UK Defence.”

Mr Wallace then said the Special Forces were very busy in operational work.

...Earlier this year, Action on Armed Violence raised concerns about a lack of parliamentary oversight of the UK’s Special Forces...

What about this one?

26 Sept 2022 - NATO Secretary General and Romanian Prime Minister address Black Sea security

Addressing Moscow’s claims that Ukraine is preparing to use a radiological “dirty bomb” on its own territory, the Secretary General described it as “absurd,” adding that “Allies reject this blatantly false accusation, and Russia must not use false pretexts to escalate the war even further.”  


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Sunday, November 26, 2023

090 - The UK Ministry of Defence - Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and Nordstream

LEGAL REQUEST

Sabotage of Nordstream2 Pipeline -

C. Williams made this Freedom of Information request to Ministry of Defence



-> HERE

"Dear Ministry of Defence,

It has recently been revealed by Jim Richards, via privilidged information from the US security community, that the UK was behind the recent sabotage of the Nordstream2 pipeline, with US approval. Such an act would be a clear violation of international law. Can the MOD now verify that this was indeed the case, and in doing so, explain to its citizens such as me, why I should be compelled to fund a criminal organisation? I would be very interested in hearing your justifications and seeing the responsible persons prosecuted and recieve jail time.

I look forward ot hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

C. Williams"

ANSWER BY 

Ministry of Defence 

Main Building 
Whitehall 
London SW1A 2HB 
United Kingdom  

-> HERE

Dear C Williams

Thank you for your email of 29 November requesting the following information:

It has recently been revealed by Jim Richards, via privilidged information from the US
security community, that the UK was behind the recent sabotage of the Nordstream2
pipeline, with US approval. Such an act would be a clear violation of international law.
Can the MOD now verify that this was indeed the case, and in doing so, explain to its
citizens such as me, why I should be compelled to fund a criminal organisation? I
would be very interested in hearing your justifications and seeing the responsible
persons prosecuted and recieve jail time.

I am treating your correspondence as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). I apologise for the delay in you receiving this response.

This letter is to inform you that the Ministry of Defence can neither confirm nor deny that
information related to your request is held, because we believe the information falls within the
scope of the following qualified exemptions: Section 24(2) (National Security), Section 26(3)
(Defence) and Section 27(4) (International Relations)
.
scope of the following qualified exemptions: Section 24(2) (National Security), Section 26(3)
(Defence) and Section 27(4) (International Relations).

Sections 24, 26 and 27 are qualified exemptions and are subject to public interest testing which
means that the information requested can only be withheld if the public interest in doing so
outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

Section 24(2) (National Security) has been applied to your request for information, which provides an exemption from the duty to confirm or deny whether information is held, where confirming or denying that information of a given description would make the UK or its citizens more vulnerable to a national security threat. 

For the purpose of this exemption, action against a foreign state may be capable indirectly of affecting the security of the UK. The public interest test found that confirmation or denial of whether the relevant information is held might increase public understanding and transparency of the UK’s response to the Russian invasion, support provided to Ukraine, and our relationship with Russia.

However, confirming or denying unsubstantiated accusations by unfriendly countries is likely to encourage further disinformation campaigns against the UK, potentially harming the security of the UK and its interests. The balance of the public interest was found to be in favour of engaging this exemption.

Section 26(3) has been applied to your request for information, which provides an exemption from the duty to confirm or deny whether information is held, where doing so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the defence of the British Islands or of any colony, or the capability of, effectiveness or security of any relevant forces. This can include the defence or reinforcement of other countries.

The public interest test found that confirmation of whether the relevant information is held would increase public understanding and transparency of the UK’s response to the Russian invasion and support provided to Ukraine. However, confirming or denying unsubstantiated accusations by unfriendly countries is likely to encourage further disinformation campaigns against the UK, potentially placing UK personnel at risk. The balance of the public interest was found to be in favour of engaging this exemption.

Section 27(4) has been applied to your request for information, which provides an exemption from the duty to confirm or deny whether information is held, if doing so would or would be likely to prejudice the relations between the United Kingdom and any other State, relations between the United Kingdom and any international organisation or international court, and the interests of the United Kingdom abroad. The public interest test found that there is naturally considerable public interest in the events covered by your request and therefore an expectation of transparency wherever possible. However, confirming or denying unsubstantiated accusations by unfriendly countries is likely to encourage further disinformation campaigns against the UK, potentially harming the UK’s relations with other nations. It could also encourage unfriendly countries to engage in similar campaigns against the UK’s partners. The balance of the public interest was found to be in favour of engaging this exemption.

Setting aside these exemptions, under Section 16 of the Act (Advice and Assistance) you may find it helpful to note the UK’s position that the damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea is of serious concern. Intentional damage to civilian infrastructure is reckless and
irresponsible. We await the findings of the ongoing Swedish/Danish/German-led investigations into deliberate damage of the Nord Stream pipelines.


FURTHER INQUIERIES: 



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I decided to open it for free, no paywall, despite huge investment.
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Tuesday, November 21, 2023

089 - IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS - Security threats to undersea communications cables and infrastructure – consequences for the EU

June 2022 - IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS - Security threats to undersea communications cables and infrastructure – consequences for the EU

ABSTRACT

The EU’s subsea data cable network is both vital for global connectivity and vulnerable. This study provides a systematic review of the current security threats, as well as the actors at the origin of these threats. Building on reports and expert input, the paper takes stock of current awareness, preparedness and response mechanisms, both at the EU and Member State level. A number of recommendations suggest how to improve the resilience of the cable network. Proposals build on the need to enhance EU-wide awareness, improve coordination and share information across EU institutions and Member States. In addition, surveillance capabilities must be advanced, response and repair mechanisms strengthened, and the topic mainstreamed across external action. 

AUTHORS ANDCONTRIBUTORS

Authors

Christian BUEGER, Professor of International Relations, Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark & Honorary Professor, University of Seychelles, Seychelles;

Tobias LIEBETRAU, Postdoctoral Researcher, Centre de Recherches Internationales (CERI), Sciences Po Paris, France;

Jonas FRANKEN, Research Assistant, Science and Technology for Peace and Security (PEASEC), Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany.

Research Assistance

Anna SARASIBAR, Junior Consultant Security & Justice, Ecorys, The Netherlands;

Jan ESSINK, Junior Consultant Security & Justice, Ecorys, The Netherlands;

Tyren KONING, Student Assistant Security & Justice, Ecorys, The Netherlands.

The chapters 2 and 3 draw on research funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Hessian Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and the Arts within their joint support of the

National Research Center for Applied Cybersecurity ATHENE and by the LOEWE initiative (Hesse, Germany) within the emergenCITY centre. Dipl.-Inf. Thomas REINHOLD (Technical University Darmstadt) provided valuable advice and support for both chapters.

PEER REVIEWER

Lars GJESVIK, Research Fellow at NUPI's Centre for Digitalization and Cyber Security Studies from the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs, Oslo, Norway.

PROJECT COORDINATOR (CONTRACTOR)

• Alexandra RIMPLER-SCHMID, Senior Consultant Security & Justice, Ecorys, The Netherlands.

This paper was requested by the European Parliament's sub-committee on Security and Defence (SEDE).

VERSION  English-language manuscript completed in April 2022

5.1.2 Modes of attack: Physical destruction



[MRT: Note that in September there were many exercises in the Baltic Sea:

Most of these exercises included ASW (anti-submarine-warfare).

At the same time there was large air activity wits also ASW capable assets here]


LEAD AUTHOR OF THE ANALYSYS: 


Christian Bueger - Professor of International Relations specialised in maritime security and ocean governance at University of Copenhagen

 5 October 2022Nord Stream pipeline sabotage: how an attack could have been carried out and why Europe was defenceless

But it is still unclear how the attacks were carried out. The investigations will probably take months to complete, but there are two likely scenarios. 

A first option is that the attacks could have been carried out as an underwater operation using advanced submarine technology.

This implies that we are looking at a state and its navy. Although the attacks took place outside the territorial waters of the Nato members Denmark and Sweden, they could be interpreted as an act of war.

The second scenario is an operation launched from a privately owned surface vessel, such as a fishing boat being used as a platform for divers or submersibles to place explosives. In this case, the attack vessel was hiding in everyday maritime traffic.

This scenario points us to so called “grey-zone” tactics: an attack by a group acting indirectly on behalf of state interests. The involvement of any government will then be very difficult to verify. This scenario implies that the Nord Stream attack was likely to have been the first ever recorded grey-zone activity in the European subsea.

[MRT: The Swedish investigator Mats Ljungqvist states that the state actor scenario is the main one.]


RELATED STATEMENTS OF THE SWEDISH INVESTIGATOR:

6 April 2023 - State actor involvement in Nord Stream pipeline attacks is 'main scenario', says Swedish investigator

There are certain companies that have certain special missions that mean they could, in theory, carry this out … We don’t rule out anything, but that it is a state actor who is directly or at least indirectly behind this is of course our absolute main scenario, given all the circumstances.

Chief Nord Stream investigator Mats Ljungqvist speaks:

 Same singular state-actor suspected on all sites.

7 April 2023 - State actor still main suspect behind Nord Stream sabotage, says investigato

The Swedish prosecutor, who was carrying the Nord Stream sabotage attack's investigation, said the “clear main scenario” was that there was the involvement of a state-sponsored group, as he expressed his doubt over theories that suggested an independent group's involvement in the pipeline blasts.

[MRT: CONCCLUSION base on the Christian Bueger´s first scenario is that "...the attacks could have been carried out as an underwater operation using advanced submarine technology..." ] 

[MRT: Collected statements of the SWE investigator are here]

Same author:

6 April 2023 - Next steps for the EU’s maritime security – briefing the European Council

 

 CONCLUSION:

->  A state using advance submarine technology has been involved  <-

->  The gray-zone attack by a Pro-Ukrainian group has been excluded  <- 


On 28-09-2022 CNN reports that:

"Russian submarines were also observed not far from those areas last week, one of the intelligence officials said... US officials declined to comment on the intelligence about the ships on Wednesday."

On 5 Oct 2022 - CNN - The USA considering offering to analyse underwater audio recordings to aid Nord Stream pipeline sabotage investigations. Article speaks about “sonar signature”.

News and Analysis - Listening to the ocean – the secretive enablers in the underwater battle
 

->  There was a submarine in the area and it was not Russian  <-  

Note: The paper describes on outlines the FRA security of subsea infrastructure. This could explain the presence of the FRA navy on GER led September exercise Northern Coasts which later got extension for unknown reason and also the statement of the captain that France is in danger not alike Finland - see details in the post here


***

***
Uncovering the truth took over two years of self-funded, tireless investigation.
I decided to open it for free, no paywall, despite huge investment.
Because the truth matters.
Please consider supporting my work with a donation.

Every bit helps keep this mission alive!

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