DISINFO: In 2015, NATO deployed a kamikaze drone near Nord Stream
SUMMARY
Amid the explosions which damaged the Nord Stream pipelines in September and October 2022, it has been revealed that a NATO kamikaze drone was found near the pipeline in 2015.
The drone was disarmed by the Swedish Armed Forces. According to NATO, the device was lost during a military exercise.
RESPONSE
The claim advances a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative regarding NATO and Russia’s Nord Stream pipelines.
In reality, this “kamikaze drone” had no relation to NATO at all. The device in question was a remotely operated vehicle designed to destroy underwater mines, and actually belonged to Sweden, a country that would not seek NATO membership for another seven years. Interestingly, RIA Novosti reported all these facts back in 2015, adding:
“According to the [Swedish] military, the device posed no threat to either the pipeline or marine traffic, thanks to a built-in feature allowing for neutralising the device.”
See here for additional debunking by The Insider (in Russian).