Poland Denies Involvement in Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage Amid Accusations

Poland's Deputy Prime Minister has firmly denied any involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which occurred in September 2022, reports BNR, quoting Polsat News. Krzysztof Gawkowski, also the Minister of Digital Affairs, rejected the claims made by former German intelligence chief August Hanning, who alleged that Poland, in collaboration with Ukraine, was behind the attack.

In an interview with Polsat News TV, Gawkowski called the accusations a "lie" and criticized them as Russian disinformation. He suggested that such claims either originate from Russian interests or are intended to sow discord among NATO members. Gawkowski urged that the accusations could be misleading and damaging.

Hanning, who served as the head of German intelligence from 1998 to 2005, had earlier claimed that a Ukrainian team was involved in the sabotage, and suggested that Polish authorities were complicit. He called for Germany to seek compensation from both Ukraine and Poland.

In response, Polish prosecutors reported on August 14 that they had an arrest warrant from Berlin for a Ukrainian diver residing in Poland, who was accused of involvement in the pipeline attacks. However, they indicated that the suspect had left the country before any arrest could be made.

Ukraine has also strongly denied any role in the incident, labeling the accusations as "absolute nonsense" following a detailed report by the Wall Street Journal. The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, which transport gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, had been a significant focus of scrutiny after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The pipelines experienced several gas leaks and underwater explosions in September 2022.

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