When the Nord Stream pipelines carrying natural gas from Russia to Germany were damaged last September, U.S. officials were quick to suggest Russia had bombed its own pipelines. But according to a new report by the legendary investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, it was the U.S. Navy that carried out the sabotage, with help from Norway. Citing a source “with direct knowledge of the operational planning,” Hersh writes on his Substack blog that planning for the mission began in December of 2021. The White House and the Norwegian government have since denied the claims.

The White House on Wednesday dismissed a blog post by a U.S. investigative journalist alleging the United States was behind explosions of the Nord Stream gas pipelines as "utterly false and complete fiction."

Reuters has not corroborated the report, published by U.S. investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, which said an attack was carried out last September at the direction of President Joe Biden.

The United States has questions to answer over its alleged role in explosions that destroyed the undersea Nord Stream gas pipelines last year, Russia’s foreign ministry says.

It was commenting on a blog post published earlier on Wednesday by respected American journalist Seymour Hersh that accused the US military of involvement in the blasts and alleged President Joe Biden green-lighted the operation.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called on the White House to address the “facts” presented by Hersh.

The White House on Wednesday denied a new report from controversial investigative reporter Seymour Hersh that the United States was behind the attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines linking Russia to Germany.

Top European officials believe Russia may not be to blame for acts of sabotage that severely damaged undersea pipelines built to carry natural gas from Russia to Europe. That’s according to The Washington Post, which cited interviews with 23 diplomatic and intelligence officials from nine European countries about the September explosions that led to the closure of the Nord Stream pipelines.

When Vladimir Putin switched off the gas taps to Europe, Germany more than most feared a winter of blackouts. Ministers scrambled to secure alternative supplies, painfully aware that a heavy dependence on Russian gas had left this industrial nation woefully exposed.

But fast forward a few months and, as lights sparkle in the Christmas markets, there is a sense of tentative optimism in the Glühwein spiced air. Germany's hastily assembled strategy to manage without Russian gas appears - for now - to be working.

Britain’s Royal Navy helped to execute the “terrorist attack” which damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines from Russia to the European Union, the Russian defence ministry has alleged.

The Russian ministry levelled the allegation at Britain’s senior military service in a news bulletin centred primarily on what they claimed was an attempted “terrorist attack against the ships of the Black Sea Fleet and civilian ships” on Saturday morning by Ukrainian drones in the vicinity of Sevastopol, Crimea, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Since the Nord Stream gas pipelines located in the Baltic Sea exploded on Tuesday, countries have been quick to point fingers as to who is behind the unusual leaks.

Germany's Nord Stream AG, which operates the pipelines, is conducting tests to assess the damage. The company said in a statement that it cannot provide an estimate for when the gas pipelines' infrastructure will be restored.

European and NATO officials are blaming sabotage for three leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 undersea pipelines running from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. EU officials did not accuse anyone directly, but the allegation underscored the uncertainty around Europe’s energy standoff with Russia, and how volatile the continent’s energy security is as winter approaches.

Major leaks that suddenly erupted in the Nord Stream gas pipelines that run from Russia to Europe under the Baltic Sea have generated plenty of theories but few clear answers about who or what caused the damage.

Here is what we know and what has been said so far:

WHO IS BEING BLAMED?

So far, Western governments and officials have avoided pointing a finger directly, while Russia has blamed the West.