Newly leaked information suggests that the US government was aware of a Ukrainian plan to attack the critical Nord Stream natural gas pipelines three months before they were damaged by a series of underwater explosions last September.
According to information from a European spy agency cited by The Washington Post, a team of six Ukrainian special operations forces planned to blow up the Russia-to-Germany pipeline system. The CIA reportedly shared this intelligence with Germany and other European countries in June 2022.
The Post reports that officials in multiple countries have confirmed the accuracy of the intelligence summary posted by Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, who was arrested in April in connection with the leak of sensitive US documents.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said Monday that investigations into the Nord Stream attack were ongoing but that the White House would not comment further on the case from the podium.
The destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline system, which consists of two sets of two pipes carrying 110 billion cubic metres of natural gas each year to Germany, has put increased political pressure on Europe as it attempts to switch to alternative energy suppliers in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Though both Sweden and Denmark have concluded the explosions were deliberate, the countries are jointly investigating the attack and have so far been unable to identify the perpetrators.
NATO and the US have declared the sabotage to be an act of aggression, while Moscow has accused the West of dragging its feet in the investigation and attempting to cover up who is responsible.
The Nord Stream explosion was just one of many recent attacks targeting European infrastructure, raising concerns across the continent that these acts of terrorism could become more prevalent in the coming years.
Given the US government’s apparent awareness of the Ukrainian plot, it remains to be seen what action, if any, it will take to increase security and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
Washington Post two months ago, Washington Post today.
Do you think Washington Post will issue a “Trump was right, we were wrong” apology? pic.twitter.com/70KGbZ1TX9
— Alex Bruesewitz 🇺🇸 (@alexbruesewitz) June 6, 2023