According to channel columnist Hans Koberstein, the German Navy was near the site of the attack with a reconnaissance ship for several days. This was confirmed by a representative of the Bundeswehr Naval Command in response to a request from the television channel. On September 7, 2022, the ship left the German port of Kiel. Until September 14, the ship was nearly 11 nautical miles southeast of where the September 26 explosion destroyed the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline.
The exact mission of this reconnaissance vessel is being kept secret by the naval command, but in response to a request from the television station, the Navy said it was a “routine operation”. The fleet service boat was able to collect “broad data in all intelligence disciplines subject to strict secrecy”, but the information received did not allow any “conclusion on who was responsible for the devastating events” around the North gas pipeline Stream, according to a Navy spokesperson.
The Oste-class reconnaissance vessel is equipped with modern electronics and, as the Bundeswehr website points out, is “a reliable and effective means of warning in the event of impending conflict”. The Navy describes its Oste-class ships as “the extremely sensitive eyes and ears of the entire Bundeswehr”. Therefore, reconnaissance ships specialize in the surveillance of large maritime and coastal areas. They have “particularly effective electronic, hydroacoustic and electro-optical sensors,” the report says.
