Kyiv, Ukraine - A senior Ukrainian military official played a key role in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea last year, according to the bombshell results of an investigation.

Roman Chervinsky, a colonel in Ukraine's Special Operations Forces, was the "coordinator" of the Nord Stream operation, people familiar with his role told the Washington Post and German newspaper Der Spiegel.

The joint report quoted officials in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, as well as others with knowledge of the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Chervinsky allegedly oversaw the logistics and supervised a team of six people who rented a sailboat under false identities and used diving equipment to place explosive charges on the pipelines.

Joke of the Day Joke of the Day for December 12, 2024: The best jokes to get your funny on

He neither planned the operation nor acted alone, taking his orders from Ukrainian officials, the Washington Post specified.

Four large gas leaks were discovered on Nord Stream's two pipelines off the Danish island of Bornholm at the end of September 2022, with seismic institutes recording two underwater explosions just prior to that.

The US and Ukraine have blamed Russia, who returned the favor amid conflicting reports.

Through his attorney, Chervinsky denied any role in the sabotage of the pipelines.

"All speculations about my involvement in the attack on Nord Stream are being spread by Russian propaganda without any basis," Chervinsky said in a written statement to the Washington Post and Der Spiegel.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly denied that his country was involved in the pipeline explosions.

Labor Unions Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema hand labor board majority to Republicans with latest obstruction

"I would never do that," he told the German daily Bild last June, adding that he would "like to see proof".

According to The Washington Post, the sabotage operation was conceived while keeping Zelensky in the dark.

The Washington Post and Der Spiegel said they had contacted the Ukrainian government for a reaction to their joint investigation, but had received no response.

Chervinsky is currently on trial in Kyiv, accused of abusing his power in an attempt to get a Russian pilot to defect. He claims that the prosecution is political retaliation for his criticism of Zelensky.