The Greek-flagged tanker Minerva Julie has been in the Baltic Sea for a week since September 6 last year near where explosions occurred on Nord Stream gas pipelines on September 26. This is reported by Business Insider.
Oliver Alexander, an open data analyst from Denmark, was the first to pay attention to the oil pipeline shutdown, the newspaper writes. He noted that around the same location as the tanker was a yacht, which German media said could be linked to the delivery of explosives.
Minerva’s owner, Julie, confirmed to Business Insider that the ship was in the Baltic Sea. According to him, the crew of the tanker was waiting for further instructions regarding the trip, it is a common practice.
The publication notes that reports of the downing of the Minerva Julie led to speculation on social media about the vessel’s long shutdown, but available data does not indicate the crew was involved in any sabotage.
At the end of September 2022, three of the four pipes of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines are damaged, while one of the Nord Stream 2 pipes remains intact. This gas pipeline was not put into operation: in connection with the Russian attack on Ukraine, sanctions were imposed on it. Nord Stream 1 was the main gas supply pipeline from Russia to Germany, from where it was then distributed to EU countries.
Investigations by Sweden, Denmark and Germany showed that gas pipelines had exploded, but the culprits are still being identified. Authorities in the United States, Britain and the European Union announced targeted sabotage.
According to Western media, a pro-Ukrainian group may have been involved in the explosion, which did not coordinate its actions with Kiev and acted privately. Ukraine’s president said Kiev was not involved in the blasts. Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that disinformation is beneficial for countries wishing to slow down military assistance to the Ukrainian army.
Russian authorities believe that the United States and its allies are interested in the accident. Moscow called the publications in the press a deliberate stuffing.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the CIA warned European countries last summer of a possible terrorist attack.
