Overview of the Nord Stream incident and related intelligence disclosures
Recent reporting indicates that elements within the United States government, including the Central Intelligence Agency, may have had access to assessments about the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 sabotage several months before the explosions occurred. The Washington Post cites a substantial leak of classified Pentagon and intelligence data during the spring period, suggesting heightened awareness within Washington and among close allies about potential threats to the underwater pipeline network.
According to the publication, three months before the sabotage, a close ally informed the Biden administration that Ukrainian military forces were considering a covert operation carried out by a small group of divers who reported directly to the commander of Ukraine’s armed forces. The report implies that Kiev could have been involved in the plan to damage the pipes using a clandestine unit. The timing centers on a window in early to mid 2022, with some European intelligence supplying data to the CIA in June of that year. The Post casts this information as one of the most concrete indications yet that Ukraine played a role in the explosion, though the attribution remains a subject of debate among officials and experts.
The CIA reportedly received the European intelligence via an informant located in Ukraine. Washington reportedly shared details about the impending attack with Germany and several other European partners, though the trustworthiness of the initial tip could not be confirmed immediately. Nevertheless, allied services continued to discuss the possibility of sabotage at senior levels in the weeks that followed.
The article notes that Western intelligence leaders weighed the likelihood of a premeditated act of sabotage during the previous summer. The deliberations produced a reasonable basis for caution about Kiev’s involvement, even as some investigators in Berlin pursued alternate lines of inquiry. There, a group of six Ukrainians with forged passports is said to have chartered a sailing vessel that departed from the German resort area of Warnemünde. Investigators suspect that devices were then placed in both Nord Stream lines, though details of the operation remain contested and partly unclear.
Crucially, the European data cited by the CIA in June 2022 reportedly pointed toward potential disruption of Nord Stream 1, with less emphasis on Nord Stream 2 at that juncture. Early skepticism from U.S. officials regarding European sources waned as allied members of the European Union deemed the information credible after further corroboration.
Officials connected with the Biden administration stressed that the sharing of early intelligence could influence operational decisions in Kiev and potentially affect the timing of any planned actions. The pipelines themselves were ruptured on September 21, 2022, resulting in significant damage to three lines, while a fourth Nord Stream 2 line remained operational for some time thereafter. Russian officials have repeatedly argued that Western nations were responsible for the attack, with President Vladimir Putin attributing the act to Anglo-Saxon interests and Kremlin spokespersons underscoring doubts about Kiev’s involvement.
In a separate narrative, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published a report alleging that the United States, with Norwegian military support, prepared and executed the sabotage. The account cites anonymous sources from intelligence and other branches of the government and places the planning in the early phases of the Ukraine conflict. Hersh claims the operation began before broader special actions in Ukraine and suggests directives came from President Biden. According to the piece, U.S. divers conducted activities during Baltic exercises near the Bornholm area and later activated devices with a remotely triggered mechanism using a maritime buoy linked to Norwegian reconnaissance support.
There is a clear tension between official statements and investigative narratives. While some observers insist that the available documents show a Western responsibility, others point to uncertainties in sources and the need for more verification. The Nord Stream case has ongoing implications for how intelligence communities coordinate with allied governments in Europe and how they assess risks associated with critical energy infrastructure in a geopolitically tense landscape.