Nord Stream sabotaged by pro-Ukrainian group: 'Inconclusive' US intelligence

The attack on Nord Stream pipelines last year could have been an anti-Russian act committed amid ongoing war by a pro-Ukrainian group, reports indicated on Tuesday.

A New York Times report cited intelligence reviewed by the officials in the United States saying that the group was likely comprised of pro-Ukraine nationals of both Russian or Ukrainian descent. The intelligence, however, reached no firm conclusions.

The report, while almost giving a clean chit to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said that the intelligence review found no evidence that the perpetrators responsible for the Nord Stream attacks were acting under the directions of Zelensky or his top lieutenants.

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Russia has blamed the West for September 2022 attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipeline that led to massive gas leaks into the Baltic Sea. The United States and NATO have called it "an act of sabotage". Neither Russia nor the West has provided the evidence to back their respective claims and accusations. Moscow, however,called on the United Nations Security Council to independently investigate the attacks last month.

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The Nord Stream pipelines, that connect Russia and Germany, became a flash point last year amid the ongoing Russian offensive in Ukraine.

"US officials declined to disclose the nature of the intelligence, how it was obtained or any details of the strength of the evidence it contains. They have said that there are no firm conclusions about it," the New York Times report said.

"Officials who have reviewed the intelligence said they believed the saboteurs were most likely Ukrainian or Russian nationals, or some combination of the two. US officials said no American or British nationals were involved," it added.

The US is no party to any of the investigations into the Nord Stream sabotage incidents. The European countries where the pipeline travels to are probing the incident.Moscow this week called for all Nord Stream stakeholders to decide its fate after three of the four pipelines were destroyed in the attacks.

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