A new investigative report by The Wall Street Journal has brought fresh details to light about the mysterious sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline, an event that took place nearly two years ago. Since the explosion, there have been endless theories and speculation about who was behind it. But now, this report paints a picture of a rogue operation that defied orders from the highest levels of the Ukrainian government and even the CIA.
Here’s how the story goes:
In the early days of the war between Ukraine and Russia, a group of senior Ukrainian military officers and businessmen were having drinks one night. During this gathering, an audacious plan to attack the Nord Stream pipeline—an underwater pipeline delivering natural gas from Russia to Europe—was born.
Initially, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was aware of the plan. According to several sources close to the situation, he gave the green light. However, when the CIA found out about the plot, they urged Zelensky to stop it. Zelensky then ordered his top general, Valeriy Zaluzhniy, to cancel the operation. But instead of following orders, Zaluzhniy decided to press on with the risky mission.
With funding from wealthy businessmen to the tune of $300,000, Zaluzhniy and his team put together a daring plan. They rented a small yacht and assembled a six-member crew, which included some of Ukraine’s best special-operations officers and experienced civilian divers. Armed with diving gear, satellite navigation, sonar, and detailed maps of the seabed, they set out on their mission.
Their goal: to plant powerful explosives on the Nord Stream pipeline. They used a highly potent explosive called HMX, which they set to detonate with a timer. Once the mission was underway, the team went silent, cutting off all communication. This meant that even if Zelensky desperately wanted to call off the operation, he couldn’t reach them.
The WSJ report suggests that this narrative is designed to distance Zelensky and the CIA from any blame. According to the story, everything was planned verbally, with no written records, making it difficult to trace the plan back to anyone in the Ukrainian government.
But the plot didn’t stay hidden forever. Shortly after the sabotage, Dutch military intelligence got wind of it and alerted the CIA, who then informed Germany. Despite efforts to stop the plan, Zaluzhniy’s team had already carried out the operation. Just days after the explosion, the CIA was able to provide European intelligence agencies with a detailed account of how it all went down.
German investigators later made a breakthrough in the case. The sabotage team, in their rush to escape Germany, forgot to clean the rented yacht, named Andromeda. This oversight left behind traces of explosives, fingerprints, and DNA, which German detectives used to track down the crew. Investigators also pieced together the boat’s journey using satellite phone records and emails that linked a Ukrainian businessman to the boat rental.
Now, German authorities are focusing their investigation on Zaluzhniy and his aides, as they have not found any direct link to President Zelensky. Interestingly, Zaluzhniy is currently serving as Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK.
As this investigation unfolds, it’s becoming clear that allies of Ukraine may have been covering up or withholding information. The findings could strain relations between Ukraine and Germany, which has been a key supporter of Ukraine during the war. Some German leaders may have overlooked evidence pointing to Ukraine’s involvement in the sabotage to maintain public support for the war effort.
To make matters even more complex, the former head of German intelligence has come forward with a shocking claim. He says there was an “agreement” between President Zelensky and Poland’s President Andrzej Duda to carry out the attack. This contradicts earlier claims that Russia was responsible for the sabotage, with many media outlets initially labeling it a false flag operation.
Despite these new revelations, Ukrainian officials continue to deny any involvement in the pipeline attack. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters that such an operation could only be carried out by someone with vast technical and financial resources—implying that Russia was behind it.
The whole story has left many readers skeptical. Was it a daring Ukrainian mission led by a rogue general? Was the CIA involved, as some have speculated? Or was it a high-level operation with approval from both Ukraine and Poland, with the knowledge of American intelligence? The truth remains elusive, but the intrigue surrounding the Nord Stream sabotage is far from over.
Recently, GreatGameInternational reported that German authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian man suspected of being involved in the dramatic explosion that destroyed the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
