U.S. intelligence suggests a pro-Ukrainian group destroyed the Nord Stream pipes

The New York Times has reported that U.S. intelligence suggests a pro-Ukrainian group destroyed the Nord Stream pipes that delivered Russian natural gas to Europe in September 2022, but they discovered no evidence of Kyiv government involvement.

Seven months into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and NATO branded the strikes "an act of sabotage" that destroyed three of the four Baltic Sea pipelines.

Putin wants the U.N. Security Council to examine Ukraine’s Western supporters. Neither side has evidence.

The New York Times reported that U.S. officials found no proof that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy or his top aides were involved in the operation or that the culprits were operating on their behalf.

"And only then should we be looking at what follow-on actions might or might not be appropriate," White House spokeswoman John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday.

Senior Zelenskiy adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that the Kyiv government was "absolutely not involved" in the sabotage strike and had no knowledge of it.

Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told Reuters the report indicated Moscow’s drive for the Security Council to set up an independent inquiry was "extremely timely" and it would seek a vote on a draught resolution by the end of March.

The intelligence investigation suggested that Ukrainian or Russian nationals, or a combination of the two, opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin were behind the pipeline explosions that sprayed gas into the Baltic.

It stated the review did not identify the group’s members or who directed or paid for the activity.

The substance, source, and strength of the intelligence were withheld by U.S. officials. No conclusions were reached, they claimed

The Gazprom-built Nord Stream gas pipelines linked Russia and Germany. Against Ukraine’s and some of Germany’s allies’ protests, Nord Stream 1 was finished in 2011 and Nord Stream 2 in 2021.

Germany halted Nord Stream 2 certification amid fears that Moscow was preparing to invade Ukraine, and Europe has substantially decreased energy imports from Russia.

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