CIA Warns Ukraine Against Attacking Nord Stream Pipeline; Russian Netizens Puzzled

On 6 June, the Washington Post published information on leaks of secret CIA documents, according to which Ukraine had planned to attack the gas pipeline three months before it happened. The accusations were joyfully received by users from Russia on social media, as this information diverted suspicion from Russia and put its opponent in an uncomfortable situation. Twitter users mocked the US intelligence agencies, noting that the latter could not identify the culprit behind the gas pipeline attacks but had hastened to accuse Russia of blowing up the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station. Social media users also amplified fake reports of the death of General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander in chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, noting allegedly that was why the United States pinned the Nord Stream explosion on him.

On 14 June, Twitter user “Ocкар Ходжаев” (@awizena) stated: “It’s all Zaluzhny’s fault, He blew up, oh scoundrel, the Nord Stream! We are sitting peacefully across the puddle, Don’t put the blame and punch us, brother Volodya.”

On 8 June, Twitter user “Приватный разговор” (@moscester) posted: “People who for six months haven’t been able to find out who blew up the Nord Stream in their own waters took just few hours to figure out who blew up the Kahovskaya dam located thousands kilometers away from them. P for professionalism.”[ii]

Also, Russian Twitter users accused the United States of being behind the explosion.

On 12 June, Twitter user “Özbek Türk” (@zbekTrk3) tweeted: “It’s clear that the United States blew up the Nord Stream pipeline, but now the United States has gracefully put the blame on the Ukrainians. Russia will have Ukraine in arbitrations to its tail and mane, since neither Ukraine nor Russia have declared war on each other. Therefore, the Ukrainians will answer for the ‘explosion.’”[iii]

However, the reaction of state officials remains restrained and aimed at discrediting the United States in the exact same matter. Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that any version should be considered, as it is necessary to divert attention from the real culprit. (RBC, 14 June)[iv] Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that the United States itself was involved in extremist and terrorist activities, as US President Biden mentioned plans to undermine the gas pipeline a year ago. (Vesti, 13 June)[v] Well-known Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov unusually diverged from the course of the state. Meeting with so-called German journalist Gregor Spitzen (who, according to his social media accounts, spent most of his life in Russia and worked for Russian newspapers) in his program, Solovyev did not believe the information from Dutch intelligence, but used the situation to reinforce rumors of the death of Ukrainian General Zaluzhnyi, saying if all the mistakes are blamed on him, then he definitely won’t come back. (Vesti, 14 June )[vi]  

On the Ukrainian side, Zelenskyy and his adviser Mikhailo Podolyak denied all accusations (Twitter, 13 June),[vii] while General Zaluzhnyi did not comment on the situation.

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[i] https://twitter.com/awizena/status/1668920020519329794

[ii] https://twitter.com/moscester/status/1668927020082790401

[iii] https://twitter.com/zbekTrk3/status/1668364987117518849

[iv] The article is published by RBC media group owned by Russian oligarch Grigoriy Berezkin. https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/6489b2559a7947b487c5ab0f

[v] https://www.vesti.ru/article/3402666

[vi] https://www.vesti.ru/article/3403024

[vii] https://twitter.com/Podolyak_M/status/1668700474277605382