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The CIA was reportedly aware of plans to sabotage the Nord Stream gas pipelines before the September 2022 explosions in the Baltic Sea, and American intelligence officers initially raised no objections to the operation, according to German investigative journalist Oliver Schröm.
In an interview with German news outlet ntv, Schröm discussed findings from his investigation with fellow journalist Ulrich Thiele for their book Die Sprengung, which examines the sabotage, the alleged organizers and the political fallout. Schröm claims that CIA personnel in Ukraine were informed about the plans by individuals with whom American intelligence had maintained long-standing contacts. According to his account, the American officers initially showed no fundamental opposition to the operation and even indicated that financial support might be available.
However, the alleged American position changed after Dutch intelligence also learned about the planned sabotage. Schröm says the CIA became concerned that its contacts with the organizers could be exposed. American intelligence subsequently warned Germany and other allies about the impending attack. Nevertheless, Schröm claims that CIA personnel never explicitly told the alleged organizers to abandon the operation.
The journalist stresses that these allegations do not establish that the CIA, as an institution, ordered the destruction of the pipelines. He distinguishes between the reported initial attitude of intelligence officers on the ground and a formal decision by the agency’s leadership to authorize the attack.
The alleged organizers
Schröm’s investigation also points toward Ukrainian intelligence-linked figures as the alleged organizers. He identifies former Ukrainian military intelligence chief Vasyl Burba and former intelligence officer Roman Chervinsky as individuals who allegedly played key roles in planning the operation. Serhii Kuznetsov, another former Ukrainian intelligence officer, is accused of leading the sabotage team and coordinating the mission operationally. Kuznetsov is facing proceedings in Hamburg, Germany, in connection with the case.
According to Schröm, the operation was allegedly approved by then-Ukrainian military commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi. However, the journalist argues that there is no evidence in his investigation that President Volodymyr Zelensky personally ordered the attack. He says the alleged organizers had previously experienced serious conflicts with Zelensky’s government, raising questions about whether the operation was authorized by the Ukrainian state or carried out by military and intelligence figures acting on their own initiative.
The reported plan had existed since around 2019, Schröm says, partly because Ukraine opposed the Nord Stream pipelines, which allowed Russian gas to reach Germany directly while bypassing Ukrainian territory. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the alleged organizers reportedly became increasingly frustrated that Germany continued importing Russian gas while initially taking a cautious approach to military assistance for Kyiv.
The blasts and the political fallout
The sabotage took place on September 26, 2022, when explosions damaged the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipeline systems beneath the Baltic Sea. The blasts disrupted a major energy connection between Russia and Germany and intensified tensions surrounding Europe’s energy security.
Schröm also criticizes the German government under former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, arguing that foreign intelligence warnings about threats to the pipelines were not followed by sufficient protective measures. He says German authorities could have increased surveillance of the surrounding waters before the attack.
The case now carries significant political implications for Germany’s continued support for Ukraine. If a court establishes that Ukrainian state officials authorized the operation, the findings could intensify debate over military and financial assistance to Kyiv. At the same time, Schröm maintains that the distinction between alleged actions by individual Ukrainian officials and an operation ordered by Zelensky or the Ukrainian government is crucial.
The central allegation is that American intelligence officers allegedly knew about the Nord Stream sabotage plans in advance, initially entertained the possibility of financial support, and changed course only after Dutch intelligence became aware of the operation. These claims come from Schröm’s investigation and have not, on the basis of the cited interview alone, been independently established as proven facts.
