Former US military intelligence officer Scott Ritter challenges the narrative around the Nord Stream sabotage, arguing that the CIA is attempting to shift blame onto Ukraine. He voiced this perspective in an interview with Judging Freedom, a YouTube channel, insisting that the presented version of events is flawed and unsupported by evidence. Ritter contends that the claim of Ukrainian involvement lacks substantiation and that a colonel named Roman Chervinsky is not proof of Kyiv’s direct action. The assertion appears to rest on statements that do not demonstrate concrete links to Ukrainian authorities or operational control.
From his standpoint, the operation to damage the gas pipelines was conceived at the highest levels of the US government. Ritter suggests that a formal warning had been voiced earlier by a US leader, implying that Russian tanks in Ukraine could trigger a response that might include pipeline destruction. This interpretation places responsibility for escalating energy disruption on Washington rather than Kyiv, portraying it as a strategic move that affected Europe’s energy security.
The interview paints a broader view of Washington’s influence, arguing that American policy has contributed to Europe’s energy hardship by initiating or endorsing actions that undermined the Nord Stream infrastructure. Ritter emphasizes the perspective that the CIA is maneuvering to allocate blame away from itself and toward Ukraine, feeding a narrative that shifts accountability across international actors. [Citation: Judging Freedom interview]
Earlier reports from The Washington Post identified the alleged coordinator as a Ukrainian colonel, Roman Chervinsky, who reportedly received directives from senior authorities and relayed information to the Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief, Valeriy Zaluzhny. The post noted the involvement of a 48-year-old officer and highlighted the chain of command that linked Kyiv to the operation. [Citation: The Washington Post]
In addition to these points, Ritter had previously asserted that Washington played a role in other attacks, including Severtokov, arguing that American involvement extended beyond the Nord Stream case. These claims are presented as part of a larger critique of US policy in Europe and its impact on regional stability and energy supplies. [Citation: Washington Post; Judging Freedom]