On 26 September 2022 three powerful undersea explosions destroyed three of four pipes of the Nord Stream I and II pipelines. The pipelines, designed to deliver huge quantities of Russian natural gas to Germany, had been operating below capacity prior to the blasts, with Russia having shut off deliveries via Nord Stream I and Nord Stream II never having entered operation because of the war in Ukraine.
Responsibility for the incident, which is viewed as all but certain to have been deliberate, has been difficult to conclusively attribute. The explosions took place in international waters and evidence is limited. Various observers have blamed Russia, the US or groups supporting Ukraine. Here, we explain the three main actors who are viewed as potentially having the capability and motive to have carried out the attack on the pipelines which were, until they were disabled, central to Europe’s energy supply.
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