Topline
The Central Intelligence Agency cautioned the Ukrainian government not to attack the Nord Stream gas pipelines months before they were sabotaged last year, officials told the Wall Street Journal, after the agency was tipped off about an alleged Ukrainian plan—adding to months of uncertainty about who struck the Russian-owned undersea pipelines.
The Nord Stream pipelines were attacked in September.
Key Facts
CIA officials delivered the message to the Ukrainian government in June 2022, three months before the pipelines were attacked, according to the Journal.
Officials from the Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD told the CIA a Ukrainian team had planned to attack the pipelines after a NATO exercise ended on June 17, 2022, though the CIA questioned whether Ukraine could carry out the attack.
The CIA also shared information about a possible covert attack by the Ukrainian military with Germany and other European officials, according to the Washington Post.
The Ukrainian government has denied any involvement in the pipeline explosion, and it’s unclear whether the attack plans observed by the CIA are related to last year’s sabotage.
Unnamed U.S. intelligence officials told the New York Times earlier this year they believed a group of Ukrainian or Russian nationals—or a combination of the two—sabotaged the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, but they had no evidence the Ukrainian government was responsible for the plot.
Crucial Quote
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied his government’s involvement: “I believe that our military and our intelligence did not do it, and when anyone claims the opposite, I would like them to show us the evidence.”
What We Don’t Know
It is still unknown how the attack was carried out. German investigators previously said they believed those responsible rented a yacht from a Warsaw-based travel agency, though this has been disputed by European law enforcement officials.
Big Number
$12 billion. That’s how much the Nord Stream 1 pipeline cost to construct, according to Reuters.
Key Background
Leaks along the Nord Stream 1 pipeline were reported by Swedish officials in September, hours after Denmark reported leaks along the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The Swedish Security Service said it found “detonations” near both pipelines, suggesting they were blown up. The pipelines connect Russia to Germany’s northeastern coastline via the Baltic Sea, linking the two countries’ economies and supplying Europe with natural gas. German officials were criticized for the pipelines, though Germany has cut its reliance on Russian natural gas since Russia—which supplied about 39% of Europe’s gas—invaded Ukraine a year ago. Speculation over who organized the attack has drawn widespread accusations. Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Seymor Hersh suggested the U.S. was responsible, though U.S. officials have denied the claim, which was largely reliant on a single unnamed source.
Further Reading
U.S. Warned Ukraine Not To Attack Nord Stream (Wall Street Journal)
U.S. Had Intelligence Of Detailed Ukrainian Plan To Attack Nord Stream Pipeline (Washington Post)
U.S. Thinks Pro-Ukrainian Group Blew Up Nord Stream Pipelines (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/06/13/cia-reportedly-urged-ukraine-against-attacking-nord-stream-pipeline-months-before-mysterious-explosions/