Expert says Nord Stream saboteurs risked their lives

Four years after the Nord Stream explosions, a trial has begun in Germany against a Ukrainian man suspected of leading the operation. Former Swedish Armed Forces attack diver Peter Bovet Emanuel told SVT that the sabotage was highly risky.

The accused is suspected of leading a group of seven people who placed explosive charges on the gas pipelines about 80 metres below the surface. He denies the charges and remained silent when the trial opened. Ukraine denies responsibility, while German prosecutors say the operation was carried out on behalf of the Ukrainian military.

Bovet Emanuel said diving from a sailing boat without a decompression chamber would have made the operation particularly dangerous. “It’s cold, dark and, to some extent, hellish down there,” he said. He added that the margin for error and ability to respond to problems were almost non-existent.

He believes the divers were prepared to risk their lives to complete the mission. Although the explosions succeeded, he said apparent mistakes may have helped investigators identify those suspected of involvement.