New reports reveal U.S. and German intelligence received warnings about Ukrainian plans to sabotage the Nord Stream pipelines months before the September 2022 explosions. Danish authorities have remained silent on whether they were also alerted, even as the sabotage occurred in Danish waters and destroyed billions in infrastructure.
Intelligence Warnings Went Unheeded
Recent revelations from German media show that multiple Western intelligence agencies knew about Ukrainian plans to attack the Nord Stream gas pipelines well before the September 2022 sabotage. Dutch intelligence agents intercepted Ukrainian communications and passed formal warnings to the CIA. The CIA then forwarded these alerts to German intelligence services. Yet the pipelines were destroyed anyway, releasing massive amounts of methane and crippling a major piece of European energy infrastructure.
CIA Held Multiple Meetings with Ukrainian Operatives
German magazine Der Spiegel reported in February 2026 that CIA agents met repeatedly with members of the Ukrainian sabotage team during spring and summer 2022. According to anonymous sources within the sabotage group, CIA officers initially expressed verbal support for the operation, codenamed Diameter. However, the agency later asked the Ukrainians to halt the mission.
Despite the CIA’s reported change of heart, the operation moved forward. Ukrainian military commander Valery Zaluzhny allegedly gave final authorization for the attack in summer 2022, while President Zelenskyy was reportedly kept out of the loop. The sabotage team proceeded with their plan even after Western intelligence agencies raised red flags.
Dutch Intelligence Spotted the Plot Early
The Dutch military intelligence service MIVD intercepted Ukrainian communications about the planned attack and issued formal warnings to the CIA. These warnings were then shared with German intelligence. The timing of the Dutch alert appears to coincide with the CIA’s decision to withdraw support from the Ukrainian operation.
When asked whether Danish authorities or intelligence services also received warnings, Dutch officials declined to comment. A spokesperson from MIVD stated the agency cannot discuss specific information shared or not shared with other intelligence services. Denmark’s Defense Intelligence Service has not responded to inquiries about whether they received advance warning.
Denmark Closed Its Investigation Without Answers
Copenhagen Police led the initial investigation into the pipeline explosions since they occurred in Danish territorial waters near Bornholm island. The agency closed its investigation in February 2024 without making arrests or revealing significant findings. Swedish authorities similarly ended their probe, citing lack of jurisdiction.
Official Silence from Danish Authorities
Danish police have refused to comment on whether new revelations about CIA knowledge warrant reopening the investigation. When contacted in February 2026, Copenhagen Police communications consultant Søren Rasmussen offered only a brief statement that the agency has no comments to provide.
The official reason given for closing the Danish investigation was that there was insufficient basis to pursue a criminal case in Denmark. However, police did not clarify whether this was due to lack of evidence or because the suspects were not located in Denmark. This left significant questions unanswered about what Danish investigators actually discovered.
Anonymous Diplomat Suggests Political Considerations
An anonymous diplomat from either Denmark or Sweden told The New Yorker magazine in early 2025 that the investigation faced challenges beyond mere evidence collection. The diplomat described the situation as an investigative stroke of luck, suggesting that finding sufficient evidence could have created an uncomfortable situation.
The diplomat stated that a successful investigation might have forced Denmark or Sweden to point fingers at an allied nation for destroying undersea infrastructure. This comment hints at political sensitivities that may have influenced how aggressively authorities pursued the case. Neither Danish nor Swedish officials have publicly acknowledged such concerns.
German Investigation Continues Despite Obstacles
While Denmark and Sweden closed their investigations, Germany has pressed forward with criminal proceedings. German authorities have identified seven suspects and issued international arrest warrants. The investigation centers on a small team of Ukrainian special forces operatives who allegedly planted explosives on the pipelines using a yacht called Andromeda.
Suspect Arrested but Extradition Battles Emerge
German police arrested Ukrainian national Serhii Kuznetsov, also known as Sergey K., who had been detained in Italy during a ski vacation. After legal battles, Italian authorities extradited him to Germany in November 2025. He now faces trial in German court for his alleged role in the sabotage operation.
Another suspect, Volodymyr Zhuravlev, was arrested in Poland but that country refused to hand him over to Germany. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated in October 2025 that extraditing the suspect was not in Polish interests. This refusal exposed divisions within the European Union over how to handle the investigation.
German Court Rejects Immunity Claims
In December 2025, Germany’s Federal Court of Justice ruled with a high degree of probability that Ukraine ordered the Nord Stream sabotage. The court rejected defense arguments that Kuznetsov should receive immunity as a combatant in an armed conflict. Judges determined that the pipelines were civilian infrastructure, not legitimate military targets.
The court also ruled that the attack violated German sovereignty since the pipelines were German property. Ukrainian Defense Ministry records confirmed that Kuznetsov served in Ukrainian special forces at the time of the explosions. German investigators found traces of military explosives on the Andromeda yacht and discovered the team used forged passports obtained through a Polish company with Ukrainian owners.
How the Sabotage Operation Unfolded
The pipeline explosions occurred on September 26, 2022, damaging three of the four Nord Stream pipes near Bornholm island in Danish waters. Investigators determined that divers planted military grade explosives at depths of approximately 80 meters. The blasts released methane equivalent to Denmark’s entire annual emissions.
Small Team Chartered Yacht from German Port
German investigators pieced together details of the operation using hotel bookings, toll road data, and border crossing alerts. The sabotage team consisted of seven people including a skipper, coordinator, explosives expert, and four divers. They chartered the yacht Andromeda from the German port city of Rostock.
The team used forged passports during their operation. Traces of hexogen and octogen explosives were later found on the yacht. Investigators tracked the vessel’s movements and matched them with the timing and location of the pipeline explosions. The operation required significant technical expertise to plant explosives at such depths in challenging Baltic Sea conditions.
Pipelines Were Already Inactive When Destroyed
The Nord Stream pipelines were built to transport Russian natural gas directly to Germany and other European nations. However, gas flows had already stopped following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier in 2022. European nations were rapidly diversifying their energy supplies away from Russian sources.
The sabotage rendered the pipelines permanently inoperable and caused energy prices to spike temporarily. Yet Europe had already begun securing alternative gas supplies, limiting the long term economic impact. The attack did succeed in eliminating any possibility of quickly resuming Russian gas deliveries through the Baltic Sea route.
Conflicting Accounts and Theories Persist
Multiple theories about responsibility for the Nord Stream sabotage continue to circulate despite the German investigation’s progress. Ukraine has consistently denied any state involvement in the operation. Some Ukrainian officials have suggested the explosions might have been a Russian false flag operation designed to blame Ukraine.
Magazine Reports Based on Anonymous Sources
The New Yorker magazine published a lengthy article in February 2025 featuring interviews with Roman Chervinsky, identified as the leader of Ukrainian sabotage operations. Chervinsky stated he was not responsible for the Nord Stream attack because he had been removed from his position at the time. However, the article provided details about Ukrainian special operations capabilities and internal power struggles within Ukrainian security services.
Der Spiegel’s February 2026 report relied heavily on anonymous sources within the sabotage group and intelligence services. The CIA denied the magazine’s claims, calling the story completely false. However, the agency did not dispute specific details, only issuing a general denial. These conflicting accounts make it difficult to establish a definitive timeline of who knew what and when.
Russia Demands International Action
Russian officials have repeatedly raised the Nord Stream sabotage at the United Nations and filed formal complaints with multiple countries. Russia opened its own terrorism investigation and sent diplomatic notes to Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland citing international anti terrorism conventions.
Russian representatives have suggested they may appeal to the International Court of Justice if the matter remains unresolved. Moscow has used the sabotage in propaganda campaigns to portray Western nations and Ukraine as threats to international infrastructure. These efforts have created additional diplomatic tensions as Germany tries to maintain support for Ukraine while pursuing its criminal investigation.
European Unity Fractures Over Prosecution
The German investigation has exposed significant divisions within the European Union over how to handle allegations against Ukrainian operatives. Poland’s refusal to extradite suspects directly contradicts Germany’s efforts to prosecute those responsible. Polish officials have reportedly celebrated one suspect as a hero for disrupting Russian gas revenues.
Italy Initially Resisted Extradition
Italian authorities arrested Kuznetsov in August 2025 but initially showed reluctance to hand him over to Germany. Only after legal appeals and diplomatic pressure did Italy agree to the extradition in November 2025. This delay frustrated German investigators who viewed it as prioritizing political solidarity with Ukraine over legal cooperation.
These extradition battles reveal competing priorities within Europe. Some nations view supporting Ukraine against Russia as paramount, even if it means protecting individuals accused of sabotaging European infrastructure. Others, particularly Germany, insist that rule of law must apply regardless of geopolitical considerations. This tension shows no signs of resolving soon.
Danish Role Remains Unclear
Denmark’s position in these disputes remains largely undefined. Danish authorities have not publicly criticized Germany’s investigation or commented on the extradition disputes. The silence from Copenhagen extends to the question of whether Danish intelligence received advance warnings about the Ukrainian operation.
Denmark has prioritized diversifying its energy supplies and reducing dependence on Russian gas since 2022. The country has not experienced significant political fallout from the pipeline sabotage compared to Germany. However, the lack of transparency about what Danish authorities knew before the explosions continues to raise questions about whether more could have been done to prevent the attack.
Sources and References
Arbejderen: Var Danmark advaret om sabotagen af Nord Stream i 2022?
