Newly uncovered information indicates that three months prior to the bombing of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, the Biden administration received intelligence regarding a planned covert attack by the Ukrainian military. The report stated that a European intelligence service informed the CIA about Ukraine’s military intending to carry out the attack using a team of divers who reported directly to the Ukrainian armed forces’ Commander in Chief, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, without President Volodymyr Zelensky’s knowledge. The intelligence report and details of the plot were shared on the chat platform Discord and provide substantial evidence linking Ukraine to the sabotage of Europe’s energy infrastructure.

Intelligence Leak 

In June 2022, a European intelligence service shared classified information with the CIA. While the source of this intelligence report, an individual in Ukraine, provided information that could not be immediately verified, the CIA shared the report with Germany and other European countries last June. The infamous leaks on Discord, allegedly done by then-Air National Guard intelligence branch member Jack Teixeira, further corroborated the information.

The 21-year-old Teixeira was arrested in April, and is accused of violating the Espionage Act for allegedly disclosing classified military intelligence in a chat room for online gamers called “Thug Shaker Central.” 

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Multiple officials from different countries have confirmed the accuracy of the intelligence shared on Discord. However, Ukrainian officials, who previously denied involvement in the attack, have not commented on the recent revelations. The Biden administration, despite learning about the attack plan in advance, did not take action to prevent it.

Pipeline Bombing and Suspected Ukrainian Involvement 

On September 26, 2022, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was damaged by three underwater explosions, causing gas leaks beneath the Baltic Sea. Initially, some Biden administration officials suggested Russian culpability in what Biden called, “a deliberate act of sabotage,” while promising that the U.S. and Western allies would “get to the bottom of exactly what … happened.” Vladimir Putin has blamed the US and its allies.

It is worth noting that the Biden administration publicly opposed the Nord Stream 2 project, pressuring Germany to halt its final authorization in the days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, early in his tenure, Biden lifted pipeline sanctions, imposed under the Trump administration.

Some European officials have quietly suggested Ukrainian involvement but refrained from making public accusations to avoid jeopardizing the anti-Russian alliance. German investigators discovered evidence that aligns with the Ukrainian plot, including the use of skilled divers and planting explosives at the recommended depth for helium-assisted dives. Residue matching on the pipeline and inside a yacht further supports the suspicion of Ukrainian military involvement.

Conflict Escalation

Throughout the war, U.S. intelligence officials have been concerned about aggressive operations by Ukraine that could escalate the conflict into a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO allies. Other documents from the cache leaked on Discord reveal that in February, on the eve of the anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency postponed planned strikes on Moscow, at Washington’s request. This tension highlights the juxtaposition of Ukraine’s eagerness to bring the fight to Russia’s territory and the United States’ hesitation to co-sign the escalation. Western officials have criticized Ukraine for attacks beyond its borders, cautioning against provocations that could trigger a severe Russian response. Despite these warnings, Ukraine has continued with strikes inside Russia, including drone attacks on an airfield and targets in Moscow.

The recent revelations provide evidence that links Ukraine to the Nord Stream 2 sabotage and U.S. knowledge of such a plan three months prior to the bombing. It raises questions about the Biden administration’s involvement and response while displaying the divergent military objectives between Ukraine’s desire to take the war into Russia and Western concerns about global escalations of the conflict.