• Ben Mindartsma

  Research intro

• Elko Bosch van Rosenthal

  Reporter

The CIA warned Ukraine of the pipeline bombing in June last year, three months before the Nord Stream gas pipeline was sabotaged.

The Americans did so after receiving an alarming message from the Dutch military intelligence service MIVD, which had heard of Ukrainian plans for an imminent attack through a source in Ukraine. According to research by NOS, news hour and German media that zeit and ARD.

The sabotage was called off in June, but in September the pipeline was still blown up according to roughly the same scenario revealed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock three months earlier.

The attack at the time caused a lot of uproar around the world and is still surrounded by many questions. At first, many fingers pointed to Russia. Meanwhile, there are increasing indications of Ukraine’s involvement in the action, which President Zelensky has vehemently denied.

The role of the Dutch MIVD is remarkable, as it was able to collect detailed information about the intent to blow up the pipeline at an early stage. This information was very similar to the plan that was finally implemented on September 26th.

What exactly is the role of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Development (MIVD) is still not clear, because the service does not want to respond. According to informed sources, it is inevitable that Defense Minister Ollongren, and possibly also Prime Minister Rutte and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hoekstra, will notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Development of its findings and inform the Americans.

A small circle at the top of the political circle The Hague has been aware of serious suspicions against Ukraine for a year now. The government does not want to comment on further questions on this matter.

In March, when the possible participation of Ukraine was discussed, Minister Ollongren emphasized that the support that the Netherlands and Europe provide to this country is independent of the question of whether Ukraine was involved in the Nord Stream bombing.

The plan, intercepted by the Ministry of the Interior and Democracy, stated that General Valery Zalogny, Ukraine’s supreme military commander, would be in charge of the operation. It will be a small team of divers who will carry out the sabotage from a sailboat. Zelensky was not aware of the plan.

Washington Post I mentioned this plan last week based on leaked Pentagon documents, saying the information came from a European intelligence agency. Turns out this is MIVD.

And because the attack could be carried out quickly, the military intelligence service promptly informed the Americans in mid-June last year, hoping to continue thwarting the operation.

The attack was planned after a NATO exercise in the Baltic Sea, which ended on 17 June. Then the Americans established contacts with Ukraine. Later, the German Ministry of the Interior informed the German colleagues.

The CIA’s warning to Ukraine raises questions. For example, it is not clear whether the Americans informed their Ukrainian colleagues that they knew about the plans before planning the attack or only afterward. As a result, it is not clear whether the Ukrainians canceled the initial plan because of the warning from the United States, or for some other reason. However, a source says that after June “CatchNor did the CIA assume there would be another attack.

On September 26, three Nord Stream pipelines were damaged beyond repair. Shortly after the attack, the Interior Ministry again contacted the CIA (again based on a source in Ukraine) with information about the attack. And the services strengthened their suspicion that Ukraine was behind the sabotage.

However, intelligence sources report that there is still no complete certainty and that various options are being considered. The Ministry of Home Affairs and Development is still investigating the circumstances.

The Dutch Cabinet reacted cautiously to the act of vandalism. The day after the attack, Prime Minister Rutte told NOS, after questions about possible Russian involvement: “You can have all kinds of suspicions (…) but we haven’t said anything about that yet.” Two weeks later he said in the House of Representatives, “We will soon see who is behind this. Hopefully, we will find out.”

Like many European colleagues, Minister Hoekstra emphasized on behalf of the Cabinet that vandalism must have consequences. “Once it is clear who was responsible, a very strong and unanimous response should follow,” he wrote to the House in November.

In addition to the Home Office, the investigation services of Denmark, Sweden and Germany have been investigating the case for months. An intelligence source familiar with the US warning does not believe there will be a final conclusion anytime soon, let alone a unified response from European countries. “I think the outcome of the investigation is really inappropriate.”

The CIA declined to comment. The office of Ukrainian President Zelensky was also asked to respond on Monday. This has not yet been answered. “I am convinced that our army and our intelligence services have nothing to do with it,” Zelensky told the German newspaper last week. picture.