U.S. officials have declined to publicly address rumors that Ukrainian intelligence agencies may have played a role in sabotaging Russia’s Nord Stream gas pipelines. This stance came from John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the White House National Security Council, who emphasized that there will be no comments on intelligence matters, whether tied to gas pipeline incidents or other events. He also noted that the Washington Post material cited had not been verified by U.S. intelligence agencies.
Kirby pointed out that the governments of Germany, Denmark, and Sweden are actively examining the sabotage cases, and Washington does not intend to interfere with their ongoing investigations through presumptions of its own about potential outcomes.
Earlier reports in the United States claimed that the CIA had advance, detailed knowledge of Ukraine’s planned operation to undermine Nord Stream. These reports suggested that a unit of six Ukrainian divers, reportedly reporting directly to the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was designated to execute the attack on the Nord Stream facilities.