Anastasia Pechenyuk22:45, 06/05/23

Investigators ignored this find, although it was reported by the gas pipeline operator.

The first independent expedition to the place of sabotage on the Russian gas pipelines “Nord Stream” and “Nord Stream-2” in the Baltic Sea made an unexpected find – a diver’s boot. 

The journalist of the American website The Grayzone Geoffrey Brodsky, who participated in the expedition, claims that the investigators missed this find.

“It is not known how long the shoe had been on the seabed. Andersson, the organizer of the expedition, believes that the shoe may have been previously covered by sediment or mud that was moved by undercurrents or the shock wave of the explosion. Otherwise, it is unclear how investigators could have missed it.” , – writes Brodsky.

The journalist suggests that the owner of the shoe may be a diver who lost it during the installation of the bombs. Another version of it is that the owner could be a person who was returning to the scene after the detonation.

“An alternative version – the boot may belong to a diver who was ordered to return to the scene of the crime to retrieve an unexploded charge intended for an intact Nord Stream-2 line,” is the theory proposed by Seymour Hersh (an American journalist known for his coverage of mass murders – UNIAN) . Or maybe the boot belonged to a commercial diver,” Brodsky writes.

Незалежна експедиція поділилася несподіваною знахідкою з місця вибуху “Північного потоку”An independent expedition shared an unexpected find from the site of the Nord Stream explosion

In The Grayzone, the Northern Diver Thor boot model has been identified. The company, however, does not dare to claim that this shoe is their product.

“It looks like a Thor, but I can’t be 100% sure. If it’s a Thor, they used to be used by divers in the oil and gas industry. It’s part of a dry suit that’s normally used in polluted water to keep the diver safe.” – said Neil Tordoff, director of military and commercial sales for Northern Diver.

A company representative also revealed that Northern Diver is no longer producing these boots due to production disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, similar boots are used by commercial divers all over the world.

“This item is used all over the world,” says Tordoff

The Grayzone, however, emphasizes that this model is similar to the one used by the US Navy.

“Divers of the Navy of Ukraine were also seen wearing similar shoes,” Brodsky adds.

The operator of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline confirmed that it was previously known about this shoe. According to the representative, the shoe was discovered in February, and information about it was passed on to Swedish investigators. He also emphasizes that no diving work was carried out in this area.

(C)UNIAN 2023