Since the sabotage of the two Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic, the responsibility for the operation continues to raise more questions than answers. As the investigation continues, the American and Russian media each have their own version of events.
The Russia-Ukraine war in the background
The sabotage in the international waters of the Baltic, off the Danish island of Bornholm, is linked to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The operation affected a Russian gas export infrastructure, although it was inactive at the time of the incident. The two pipelines have been at the heart of geopolitical tensions for years, fanned after Moscow’s decision to cut off gas supplies to Europe in alleged retaliation for Western sanctions.
Media on the front line
American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh wrote that US Navy divers, aided by Norway, allegedly planted explosives in June that were set off three months later. Washington considered this information “totally false”. The New York Times, for its part, designated a “pro-Ukrainian group” opposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the basis of information consulted by American intelligence. Accusations denied by Kiev and described by Moscow as a “coordinated media coup”.
A high-flying operation
The German justice deemed it impossible “to make solid assertions” about the identity of the perpetrators or the involvement of a state. The operation requires intervention at a depth of 70 meters, which implies a state actor. “The +pipe+ did not explode into cauliflower, it was lifted off the ground. There was movement on the bottom,” she added, referring to the possibility of a “bottom mine.” The operation requires “a support building that can remain vertical to the site” for several hours, thus “large infrastructures”.
A hybrid act of war
This sabotage constitutes a typical act of hybrid warfare, outside the classical military field. And the characteristic of hybridity, like cyber operations for example, is that it remains in a grey area and makes its attribution complex if not impossible. “Hybrid warfare by definition refers to unattributed, shady and ambiguous acts,” notes a Western expert on the subject on condition of anonymity.
“Four-dimensional billiards
Professor Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen is careful not to speculate, but believes that Russia has the least to lose in the operation. “By doing this, Russia is increasing fears” and dissuading Europeans from helping Ukraine. “Fear is the main raw material exported by Russia,” he adds. The Ukrainians could have been tempted to carry out the attack against the American ship, but they probably did not do so because the risk of being discovered is very high and it would backfire. According to this observer, it is unlikely that we will ever know for sure who is responsible for the attack. He believes that both sides are playing a complex game and that one side knows it did not carry out the attack, while the other sent a clear message by doing so.
