Media: Ukrainian general backed Nord Stream sabotage without Zelenskyy's knowledge

Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and current Ukrainian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, personally authorised the sabotage of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines without informing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Der Spiegel reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

According to the magazine, the decision to carry out the operation was taken by Zaluzhnyi while he was leading Ukraine’s military and was not coordinated with the president. The report also states that the presidential administration had no knowledge that the operation was underway.

Earlier, Zaluzhnyi said in an interview with The Associated Press that Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive ultimately failed because Zelenskyy and other senior officials “did not allocate the necessary resources.”

In the same interview, the 52-year-old general described growing tensions with Zelenskyy that began shortly after February 2022. While declining to discuss any presidential ambitions, stressing the need to preserve unity during wartime, his remarks have been widely interpreted as signalling possible future political intentions.

Zaluzhnyi recalled a particularly tense episode in September 2022, when dozens of agents from Ukraine’s domestic security service raided his office in Kyiv. “I will fight with you and have already called in reinforcements to the centre of Kyiv for support,” he said, warning Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermak. “I told Yermak that I would repel this attack, because I know how to fight.”

He argued that a court-approved search warrant targeting an alleged strip club registered at the same address served merely as a pretext, noting that the establishment had closed before Russia’s full-scale invasion. Zaluzhnyi said it was implausible that authorities could confuse the location with Ukraine’s main wartime command centre.

Strategic disagreements between the leadership continued, particularly over the 2023 counteroffensive. Zaluzhnyi said his NATO-supported concept envisioned forming a concentrated “single fist” to sever Russia’s land corridor to Crimea, but the plan was weakened when Ukrainian forces were dispersed across multiple fronts. “Success required a large, concentrated buildup and tactical surprise,” he said. Two Western defence officials later confirmed that the original plan had been diluted.

In February 2024, Zelensky dismissed Zaluzhnyi from his military post and appointed him ambassador to London — a move analysts viewed as sidelining a potential political rival. According to an Ipsos poll, Zaluzhnyi narrowly leads Zelenskyy in a hypothetical election matchup, with 23% support compared to the president’s 20%.

Despite speculation, Zaluzhnyi insisted he has no current political plans. “Until the war is over or martial law ends, I am not discussing this and have done nothing toward that,” he said.

By Tamilla Hasanova