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Nord Stream Sabotage 2022
Sprængninger på gaspipelines i Østersøen
BEVIS
Quick Facts
Gerningsmand(e)Ukendt
Offer(e)Nord Stream 1 og 2 rørledninger
GerningsstedØstersøen ved Bornholm, Danmark
Gerningsdato2022-09-26
ForbrydelsestypeSabotage
About the Nord Stream Pipelines
Nord Stream 1 and 2 were critical energy infrastructure linking Russia and Europe.
Nord Stream 1, opened in 2011, transported natural gas from Russian fields through the Baltic Sea to Germany. Nord Stream 2, completed in 2021, was an expansion of the project — though never commercially operational due to political sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Timeline
8 November 2011
Nord Stream 1 geht in Betrieb
Die erste Nord Stream-Pipeline zwischen Russland und Deutschland durch die Ostsee wird in Betrieb genommen.
3 September 2021
Nord Stream 2 fertiggestellt
Die zweite Pipeline wird fertiggestellt, aber die Genehmigung wird von Deutschland aufgrund der Ukraine-Invasion gestoppt.
24 February 2022
Russische Invasion der Ukraine
Russland marschiert in die Ukraine ein. Westliche Sanktionen werden intensiviert. Nord Stream wird zur geopolitischen Waffe.
26 September 2022
Sabotage-Sprengungen
Vier Explosionen werden an Nord Stream 1 und 2 in der Ostsee registriert. Drei Rohrsegmente werden zerstört. Internationale Ermittlungen beginnen.
27 September 2022
Offizielle Sabotage-Erklärung
Deutschland, Dänemark und Schweden erklären das Gebiet zum Sabotagebereich. NATO und EU-Kommission äußern Verdacht auf vorsätzlichen Staatsakt.
1 June 2023
Ermittlungen dauern an
Nach neun Monaten ist kein Täter identifiziert. Deutschland und Dänemark geben bekannt, dass der Fall ohne konkrete Anklage weiterhin offen bleibt.
The two parallel pipelines lay on the seabed approximately 80 to 100 kilometres from the Danish coast, at a depth of roughly 70 to 90 metres. Each pipeline measured around 1,220 kilometres in length and transported billions of cubic metres of natural gas annually.
The Sabotage Attack on 26 September 2022
On 26 September 2022, at least four powerful explosions were recorded on the Nord Stream pipelines. The Swedish seismic institute USGS registered seismic activity strong enough to be measured on the Richter scale. The explosions struck both Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 at multiple locations.
The spacing of the detonations throughout the day suggests planned coordination. The three largest explosions affected pipe segments between Sweden and Denmark as well as areas around the Danish and German economic zones.
Denmark, Germany, Sweden and international organisations responded immediately. The area was declared a conflict zone in relation to energy infrastructure. The European Commission and NATO announced that there was strong suspicion of "sabotage of a very serious nature."
Investigation and Theories
Danish, Swedish, German and Norwegian authorities opened parallel investigations. Danish investigators focused on the maritime territory surrounding the blasts.
Numerous theories circulated internationally:
United States and NATO connections: Some American and European sources speculated about the involvement of American operations, given geopolitical interests in severing Europe's dependence on Russian gas. US President Biden had previously threatened to "put an end to Nord Stream 2."
Russia: Ukrainian and Western investigations focused on Russian military capabilities and motives — whether to destabilise Europe or to destroy the pipelines themselves before losing control of them. Russia denied any involvement.
A Ukrainian connection: Some sources pointed to Ukraine's interest in blocking Russian energy influence over Europe.
Unidentified actors: Investigators maintained an open mind regarding the scale of the operation — possibly involving multiple countries or non-state actors.
Denmark's PET and Germany's BND worked alongside Swedish and Norwegian security services. No group or nation was officially charged in a court of law, and the case remained under without any publicly confirmed resolution.