The Nord Stream Incident: Open Briefing
This afternoon (26 August) at 4 pm EST, the Security Council will convene for an open briefing under the “Threats to international peace and security” agenda item. Russia requested the meeting to discuss recent developments in the investigation into the 26 September 2022 explosions that damaged the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea. Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas Miroslav Jenča is expected to brief.
Background
Nord Stream is a set of offshore natural gas pipelines, comprising Nord Stream 1 (NS1) and Nord Stream 2 (NS2), which run from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea. Between 26 and 29 September 2022, four leaks were detected in NS1 and NS2, near the island of Bornholm in Denmark. The leaks occurred in international waters within the economic zones of Denmark and Sweden. Following the incident, Danish, German, and Swedish officials launched separate investigations into the leaks. Russia expressed interest in joining the investigations, and has since argued that the leaks were a deliberate act of terrorism. (For background, see our 7 November 2023 What’s in Blue story.)
In a 21 February 2023 letter to the Council, Denmark, Germany, and Sweden noted that the investigations established that “powerful explosions due to sabotage” caused the damage to the pipelines. On 18 November 2022, Swedish authorities reported that “foreign items” containing “explosive residue” were found near the site. In February 2024, Danish and Swedish authorities informed the Council that they had closed their respective investigations, citing insufficient grounds to pursue a criminal case. Germany’s investigation is the only remaining ongoing national investigation into the incident.
On 21 August, Germany’s prosecutor general announced that a Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating the bombings that targeted the Nord Stream pipelines had been arrested. Italy’s police, acting under a European arrest warrant issued by Germany, apprehended the man, identified by Germany only as “Serhii K” in accordance with privacy laws, while he was on vacation in the country. Germany has alleged that Serhii K belonged to a group of people who attached the explosives to the pipelines, after having departed on a vessel from the German port city of Rostock. An Italian appeals court is expected to convene on 3 September to consider the suspect’s extradition to Germany.
Almost three years after the Nord Stream explosions, the recent development marked the first arrest of a suspect in connection with the incident. It also came more than a year after German authorities issued an arrest warrant in June 2024 for another Ukrainian national suspected of involvement in the Nord Stream explosions who was believed to had been residing in Poland. The suspect reportedly evaded arrest by crossing the border into Ukraine.
The Security Council has engaged on the Nord Stream issue several times since the September 2022 incident. Russia has convened at least ten meetings of Council members on the matter, the most recent of which was held on 4 October 2024. More recently, it has also raised the issue during two open debates on maritime security held on 20 May and 11 August. Moscow has proposed several Council products on the issue, including a draft resolution that requested the Secretary-General to establish an international, independent commission to investigate the incident. The draft text, which was tabled for a vote on 27 March 2023, was not adopted because it did not garner the requisite support. Russia has also initiated three draft presidential statements on the issue, which failed to achieve the required consensus among Council members. (For background and more information, see our 3 October 2024 What’s in Blue story.)
Today’s Meeting
In requesting today’s meeting, Russia cited the latest arrest and said that it seeks to “draw attention to the delays in the German investigation and its lack of transparency for the Security Council”. Moscow is likely to reiterate today its criticism over what it perceives as reluctance by Germany to share information about its investigation and Western countries’ refusal to pursue accountability for the Nord Stream incident at the Council. At the 11 August open debate on maritime security, Russia argued that its attempts to initiate an independent international investigation into the Nord Stream blasts or to adopt other measures through the Security Council “have been repeatedly blocked by its Western members, which makes us question the circumstances surrounding the preparation and implementation of this terrorism attack”. It also accused Germany of failing to provide substantive information to the Council about the investigation, claiming that this is “stirring up various speculations and completely implausible versions in the international media”.
Algeria and China may similarly express support for an international investigation into the incident, as they have done in previous meetings. China may call on the relevant countries to actively communicate and cooperate with Russia in the investigation, as well as for the Council to maintain its attention on the Nord Stream incident.
Denmark, Germany, and Sweden have rejected Russia’s allegations about lack of transparency and sent numerous letters about the issue in the past three years. The three countries sent a letter to the Council on 22 August addressing the recent arrest made in connection with the Nord Stream incident (S/2025/530). The letter reiterates that Germany’s investigation is conducted in an impartial, independent manner which is consistent with fundamental principles of the rule of law. It also notes that Germany is “aware of the extensive media coverage”, adding that “[m]edia reports do not replace the investigations, which require confidentiality”.
At today’s meeting, several Council members—including the European members—are expected to echo these messages, arguing that the Council should avoid interference in the investigation, which should be allowed to run its course. Some may note that the recent arrest demonstrates that the national investigation is progressing and producing results. At the 4 October 2024 Council meeting on Nord Stream, the UK said that it is unhelpful for the Security Council “to try to prejudge the outcome of the ongoing investigation, dictate how the investigation is conducted or seek to politicize the issue”. France emphasised similar points, arguing that “[b]y expanding the number of initiatives on this issue in the Security Council, Russia is seeking to inject doubt into the seriousness of the national investigations, whether concluded or under way, and to put pressure on the German investigators”. France, the UK, and several other members may convey similar messages today, while also accusing Russia of hypocrisy for highlighting damage to energy infrastructure such as the Nord Stream pipelines while it continues to carry out attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.
Today’s meeting, the first on the Nord Stream issue this year, will feature the US’ first statement at the Council on the matter since US President Donald Trump returned to office in January. The meeting also comes amid a strong diplomatic push by the US to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war. While the US previously took a critical tone against Russia similar to that of France and the UK, today’s meeting may witness a softening of its messaging. Russia, which has previously accused the US of either assisting or carrying out the Nord Stream attack, may also display a different tone. Moscow’s statement at the 11 August maritime security open debate may have displayed a shift in its position towards the current administration, as it argued that the Nord Stream incident “became possible…only given the frenzied anti-Russian stance of the previous US administration under Joe Biden”.
At today’s meeting, several Council members are expected to convey general messages about the need to ensure the security of all critical transnational energy infrastructure and condemn any attacks on such infrastructure. At the 4 October 2024 meeting, Slovenia expressed concern about any “intentional or inadvertent damage” to underwater infrastructure, noting in this regard the damage done to the Baltic connector gas pipeline in October 2023.
