admikar
Contributor
I'm not sure if you are saying that Russians looked for a way out of the contract?
Arrest warrant for dive instructor over Nordstream pipeline sabotage
- Thread starter Kay Dee
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Valerii Vakshul
Contributor
admikar
Contributor
Yeah right. And decided to do that by destroying a quite an expensive asset?
And also losing any leverage they might have over Germany and other EU countries.
And also losing any leverage they might have over Germany and other EU countries.
HalcyonDaze
Contributor
This is what I've been waiting to see someone try since the whole "rented yacht" story broke. My old boss had a Bavaria 38 that we took out to the Channel Islands a few times; granted that's a significantly smaller boat but given what I recall of the storage space I don't see a 50 as being a suitable tech dive platform (fun observation on the Andromeda - looks like to get to the folding swimstep one has to remove one or both of the helms). Now I want to see someone go through the weather records for that week; if it wasn't flat calm that raises even more question marks.
Then there's a question of what these boys were doing out there four days before the big booms: Danish Defence Command Confirms Russian Minisub Equipped SS-750 at Site of Nord Stream Blasts 4 Days Prior
Why Ukraine is being blamed for Nord Stream
unherd.com
A Bavaria Yachts C50 like the Andromeda is obviously not ideal for tech diving but you work with what you have. The pictures show the folding "bathing platform" is accessible without removing either helm.
I've done tech dives from much smaller boats in rough surface conditions. At the end of the dive just doff your rig at the surface and clip it to a line for the crew to haul aboard, no problem.
HalcyonDaze
Contributor
Recheck the photo on the first page of this thread. The helm consoles are there, but the wheels have been dismounted (you can see in some of the other Getty images that they are stowed in the main cabin while the boat is up on blocks; this image of the boat tied up in the water shows them in place).
The size of the boat isn't the issue - it's the configuration. That's about the crappiest option you can pick for the money, and it's not exactly inconspicuous. Way more efficient and lower-profile to pay off a fishing boat (heck, do it in Poland where the locals are less likely to squeal and you don't have to transport gear and explosives over the border).
Also - not sure how they do evidence and chain of custody in Germany, but the boat seems to have been left relatively unsecured within about two months of the investigation starting and it was available for charter recently. Either there's no requirement that the boat remain impounded and secured as evidence until a trial, or that's sloppy work.
A conical shape charge that could penetrate the pipeline would not require so much explosives that could not be handled on that size vessel by a pair of technical divers.
As a former EOD officer, I once set off a 50 pound shaped charge and the ground penetration from the explosive jet was impressive.
As a former EOD officer, I once set off a 50 pound shaped charge and the ground penetration from the explosive jet was impressive.
admikar
Contributor
I have a feeling that "Russian BAD" camp is trying everything they can to come up with an excuse why this isn't true.
Could there be a better boat to do this? Yes.
Could there be a worse boat to do this? Also yes.
There is so much more we don't know, but I am still waiting for an explanation from aforementioned camp of why would Russians destroy an asset into that they invested a lot of money, that was bringing them hard currency they desperately need (this is somewhat of contested theory, since they seem to be doing fine so far) and was providing them with at least some leverage over EU countries that pipeline served.
Germany was reluctant at that time to cut off that particular supply and support Ukraine. All that was accomplished so far, if "Russia did it" theory is true, could have been done with simply turning some valves off. IIRC, there was some of it happening anyway. And from what I am hearing, German companies, and by extension German politicians, would be more than happy to get that back.
Not to mention that Russian gas company is still delivering gas to EU countries, so theory that they wanted a way out is simply not ture.
Could there be a better boat to do this? Yes.
Could there be a worse boat to do this? Also yes.
There is so much more we don't know, but I am still waiting for an explanation from aforementioned camp of why would Russians destroy an asset into that they invested a lot of money, that was bringing them hard currency they desperately need (this is somewhat of contested theory, since they seem to be doing fine so far) and was providing them with at least some leverage over EU countries that pipeline served.
Germany was reluctant at that time to cut off that particular supply and support Ukraine. All that was accomplished so far, if "Russia did it" theory is true, could have been done with simply turning some valves off. IIRC, there was some of it happening anyway. And from what I am hearing, German companies, and by extension German politicians, would be more than happy to get that back.
Not to mention that Russian gas company is still delivering gas to EU countries, so theory that they wanted a way out is simply not ture.
