The UK’s Special Boat Service (SBS) was behind the recent Nord Stream sabotage attempt, alleged Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top aide on Monday.
German officials have accused Ukrainian nationals of carrying out the explosions in international waters in September 2022, which disabled the twin energy-supplying pipelines from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea.
Former Federal Security Service (FSB) head of Russia Nikolay Patrushev argued that Ukrainians lacked the expertise to conduct such a complex operation independently.
The sabotage was likely “planned, overseen and executed with the involvement of highly trained NATO Special Forces,” he said.
Patrushev claimed those involved in the attack were experienced in deep-sea operations and familiar with working in the Baltic, pointing directly towards the involvement of British Special Forces.
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“Only a few nations in the world possess the capabilities of performing deep covert military operations, and it is very well understood how some nations have built these capabilities. Ukraine does not possess such highly trained military professionals,” he said.
“One unit with the necessary skills is the British Special Boat Service,” he added. Founded during the Second World War, the SBS is the Royal Navy’s elite unit specialising in amphibious warfare.
Russia has criticised German investigators for a lack of transparency and for not including Russian authorities in the probe.
In 2024, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service claimed it had “credible information” that the US and UK were directly involved in the sabotage, a claim denied by both London and Washington.
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