In September 2022, mysterious underwater explosions ripped through the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, sending shockwaves across Europe and igniting one of the most politically charged sabotage investigations in recent memory. Nearly two years later, the case remains shrouded in uncertainty, despite fresh developments-including the arrest of a Ukrainian man in Italy who German prosecutors say played a role in orchestrating the attacks.

The blasts, which ruptured three of the four Nord Stream pipelines, not only caused one of the worst methane leaks in history but also deepened geopolitical rifts over energy, security, and the war in Ukraine. With Denmark and Sweden having closed their investigations without naming suspects, and Germany still pressing forward, the Nord Stream affair continues to fuel speculation about who was behind the act and why.

The Nord Stream network was central to Europe’s pre-war energy architecture. Consisting of two double pipelines-Nord Stream 1 (NS1) and Nord Stream 2 (NS2)-the system was built to transport as much as 110 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Russia’s state-controlled energy giant Gazprom to Germany via the Baltic Sea.

Stretching about 1,200 kilometers each, the pipelines are massive steel conduits coated with concrete, laid at depths of 80 to 110 meters. NS1 came online in 2012, cementing Russia’s role as Europe’s key gas supplier. NS2, completed in September 2021, was filled with gas but never began operations. Just days before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Germany halted the approval process, citing Moscow’s aggression.

This move marked a turning point in Europe’s long-debated dependency on Russian........

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