European Leaders Call Nord Stream Attacks Acts of Terrorism as Investigations Continue
A senior Hungarian official labelled the Nord Stream pipeline damage an act of terrorism and urged a complete, transparent inquiry into the incident. In a recent interview, the foreign minister emphasized that the assault on a critical energy route should be treated with the utmost seriousness and recognized as a deliberate attack on essential infrastructure. Budapest reiterated its willingness to support rigorous investigations and to assist in uncovering the perpetrators and their motives.
The events surrounding the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 lines began to unfold on September 26, 2022, when damage and gas leaks were detected on multiple segments of the system. Seismic stations registered two explosions linked to the pipelines, prompting international scrutiny and concern about energy security in Europe. Authorities in Russia filed a lawsuit alleging an international terrorist act, while Swedish prosecutors opened their own investigation into the cases. These parallel inquiries reflected the high-stakes nature of the incident and its potential geopolitical ramifications.
In early 2023, a controversial investigative report by American journalist Seymour Hersh emerged, proposing a theory that explosive devices were placed beneath the Russian gas lines in June 2022. The account cited a source claiming that United States Navy divers, with support from the Norwegian army, executed the operation and subsequently attempted to conceal the action through the Baltops exercises. The report sparked intense debate and drew responses from various governments and security experts, highlighting the enduring uncertainty surrounding who carried out the sabotage and why. (Attribution: multiple investigative outlets and official statements, as compiled by editorial partners.)