A report released on Thursday claims that the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines was sanctioned by high-ranking officials in Kyiv, with initial backing from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The identity of those responsible for the act has been the subject of much conjecture, with both Ukraine and Russia refuting any connection. According to The Wall Street Journal, the then-chief of Ukraine's military, Valery Zaluzhny, was the mastermind behind the scheme to destroy the pipelines, which Russia utilized to transport gas to Europe. The concept was conceived during a gathering of top Ukrainian military personnel and business leaders in May 2022, shortly after Russia's incursion into Ukraine. The report indicates that six individuals were directly engaged in the execution of the operation, which was financed privately and amounted to approximately $300,000. Employing a chartered yacht, they navigated to the vicinity of the pipelines and submerged to plant explosives. Zelensky initially endorsed the operation. However, upon being informed of the plan by the CIA, he was urged to abort it and subsequently issued a cease order. Despite this, Zaluzhny, who was later dismissed from his position, proceeded with the plan, as reported by the WSJ, citing Ukrainian authorities. Zelensky reprimanded the military commander for persisting with the operation in defiance of the cease order, as per the report. The commander argued that once the sabotage team was deployed, they could not be recalled.
"He was informed it's akin to launching a torpedo -- once directed at the adversary, it cannot be recalled, it simply continues until it detonates," a senior officer privy to the conversation was quoted as saying. Zaluzhny, now Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, denied any knowledge of such an operation when contacted by the Journal, labeling any allegations as "mere provocation". This report follows German media's revelation that German investigators are now concentrating on Ukraine in their investigation of the sabotage, having issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian citizen. While most reports did not implicate high-level Ukrainian approval, Der Spiegel did suggest Zaluzhny's possible involvement. The Nord Stream pipelines had been a focal point of geopolitical strife, with Russia reducing gas deliveries to Europe in what was seen as retribution for Western sanctions imposed due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. In September 2022, four significant gas leaks were identified in the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm, with seismic agencies detecting two underwater explosions shortly before.
