Mystery 'Dark Ships' Spotted by Satellite at Nord Stream Explosion Location
Mystery 'Dark Ships' Spotted by Satellite at Nord Stream Explosion Location
Western Countries have blamed Russia, and the Kremlin blamed the UK
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A satellite data monitoring firm studying the Nord Stream pipelines apparent sabotage found that days prior to the explosion, there were two large ships in the vicinity with their their trackers turned off, Wired reported.
SpaceKnow, the company, analyzed 90 days of images from multiple satellites and discovered two “dark ships” that were within “several miles of the Nord Stream 2 leak sites.”
The ships were about 95 to 130 meters long.
Jerry Javornicky, the CEO and cofounder of SpaceKnow, told the magazine that the dark ships passed through that area of interest.
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“They had their beacons off, meaning there was no information about their movement, and they were trying to keep their location information and general information hidden from the world,” he said.
The Trends Journal reached out to the company.
Otto Tabuns, the director of the Baltic Security Foundation, told Wired that it “would not be common practice [to have AIS turned off], unless the vessels have a classified military mission or they would have some clandestine objectives, because the Baltic Sea is one of the busiest seas in the world in terms of commercial traffic.”
The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the explosions, and now blames the British navy for the attacks.
“According to available information, 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 26 September this year – blowing up the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines,” the Kremlin said, according to Energy Voice.
Earlier this month, investigators from the Swiss-based operator of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline said they completed the first leg of an investigation and found “technogenic craters” at the site.
“According to preliminary results of the damage site inspection, technogenic craters with a depth of 3 - 5 m were found on the seabed at a distance of about 248 m from each other,” the report said.
No one claimed responsibility and the investigation is ongoing.
HOW WE GOT HERE
Immediately after the explosions, Ned Price, the State Department spokesman, brushed off the Russian “disinformation” blaming the U.S. of sabotaging the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, warned that the sabotage “would be met with a united and determined response.”
Price, who has worked as a senior analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency prior to working for the Obama administration, told reporters that it was preposterous to think the U.S. would carry out such an action.
“The idea that the United states was in any way involved in the apparent sabotage these pipelines is preposterous,” he said. “It is nothing more than a function of Russian disinformation and it should be treated as such.”
Speculation over who was responsible has permeated social media with many users posting earlier threats by President Joe Biden that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline would not go forward if Russia invaded Ukraine.
“ If Russia invades and that means tanks and troops crossing the border of Ukraine, again there will be there no longer Nord Stream 2,” Biden said. “We will, we’re going to end it.”
TRENDPOST: Officials in Washington have been vocal in their threats that if Russia invaded Ukraine, the Nord Stream 2 project would end. Victoria “fuck the EU” Nuland, who is the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, said in a recently emerged video that “one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward.”
The Jewish Policy Center noted that the pipelines are up to 360 feet below sea level and would require submersible vehicles. Ukraine blamed the Russians. The report noted that Ukraine would stand to benefit from a damaged pipeline because it would damage Russia economically.
“The fact that this would deprive Europe against deliveries in the near future, supposing an end of sanctions, makes this an unlikely move for any country that depends on NATO for security,” the report said.
The article floated the idea that the U.S. has at least some incentive to damage the pipelines to prevent European countries from wavering in the Russian energy sanctions in the cold winter months. But that would be a potentially disastrous public relations imbroglio for Washington.