The Nord Stream Conspiracy: Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2026

by Bojan Pancevski

In September 2022, Scandinavian seismologists picked up tremors that resembled a huge undersea earthquake or volcanic eruption. These signals were caused by several devastating explosions that destroyed Nord Stream, the $20 billion pipeline carrying cheap Russian gas to Europe. The consequences were immediate, shifting global geopolitics, delivering a body blow to one of the world’s largest economies, fuelling tensions in the Russo-Ukrainian war and triggering a manhunt that would rupture relations within the NATO alliance.

Despite capturing the imagination of millions, the mystery of who blew up the pipeline has so far gone unsolved – was it the CIA? Could Putin himself have been behind it? Was it part of the shadow war between Russia and the West? – until now. Drawing on exclusive access to key players, including the saboteurs, the investigators and high-level intelligence, this deeply reported non-fiction thriller by an award-winning Wall Street Journal journalist reveals the true story in full for the first time.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Russia, Audiobook, War, Ukraine

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 16, 2026

Reviews

[Megan]

3 stars 🌟🌟🌟

Title & Author: The Nord Stream Conspiracy by Bojan Pancevski
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Page count/format: In hardback, 320. In EBook via Kobo, 521
Release Date: Jun 16, 2026
For those who: want James Bond to be way more complicated
First sentence I highlighted out of pure syntactical surprise: "They failed to find fitting frogmen."

-
Thank you very much to the publisher, who provided me this ARC, which I read using the Kobo app.

I nit-pick the ones I like.

This is a tricky little book to review. And by little, I very much mean the opposite. Weighing in at a hearty 521 pages in e-book format, The Nord Stream Conspiracy requires dedication out of a reader. In part, one needs to keep a running tally of the characters involved - many of which are referred to by a nickname à la John Le Carré - and their various motives, upbringings, points of view, etc. It's also required, I think, for the reader to come at this with an ability to tolerate under-explication.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Nord Stream is a set of off-shore natural gas pipelines which run from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea. In late September of 2022, leaks were detected in these pipes in international waters off of the coast of Denmark. The subsequent multi-national investigation(s) determined that sabotage had caused the damage: namely, powerful explosive charges set off 80 meters below the surface. And this amongst the full-scale Russian invasion into Ukraine, Ukraine's counter-offensive, and the corresponding ripples in international relationships world wide. The German investigation into the incident is ongoing, and in September 2025 identified seven prime suspects -among them, a Ukrainian diver living in Poland.

I had never heard of the Nord Stream incident. (I maintain plausible deniability, since I was studying for the bar in the summer of 2022 and was unaware of anything besides my own ability to remember the rules of diversity jurisdiction in federal cases. If we were to be less charitable, I am an American. We are not known for our international savoir faire). Back to the under-explication, issue, then: I fear that others like me who had no idea what they were getting into would feel lost within this book.

Repeatedly, I would be pulled in by the more cinematic parts, propelled by the sense of political intrigue, then would have to stop short to revisit the glossary - who the hell is Santa Claus again?? - or do my own googling. What is the difference between the HUR and the SBU, again? Wait, they can just get civilians to do these things? I know President Zelenskyy as a general figure, and I know about the Cossacks but what is the actual thematic role of either here?

I'm not attempting to give the author a ding for my general ignorance of post-Soviet governance. But I felt that the narrative suffered by spending time on intricacies without first establishing the larger context. Mr. Pancevski is a decorated journalist in the international politics space; I have no doubt that those awards are deserved. The Nord Stream Conspiracy is obviously deeply-reported and extraordinarily well-sourced. At times I felt the promised shivers of geopolitical intrigue. However, I felt there was a missed opportunity. I would have happily traded meticulosity in each and every action taken in the conspiracy for a clearer explanation of the Ukrainian/Russian political norms and the major players involved.

I enjoyed this. But readers with a better grasp on the subject matter prior to ever picking up the book will enjoy it more than I did. Readers who have the capacity to do some additional research and catch themselves up on the generalities will also do well. And if you've ever wondered about who, exactly, would be willing to propel themselves ~250 under water to blow up a gas pipe and who might send those people that far down, pick this one up.

[Ryan]

Considering the author of this book was a legitimate part of selling a lie that the Russians were responsible, it is genuinely surprising how little self introspection is made on the matter, and how confidently the author proceeds to assert the history of Russia and Ukraine and why Russia invaded the country with little to no mention of their reasoning other than 'tyranny'. James Bakers "not one inch" promise is essentially scrubbed from this lopsided accounting of history.

Russia were unequivocally in the wrong to invade, but the total lack of critical thinking considering this journalist was active in duping the public into a false narrative for this very story is galling at a minimum, and outright asinine at most.

Fortunately, it is fairly well written, and the characters and stories are interesting, it's just a shame that I don't know how believable it is due to Bojan's lack of credibility.

[Jasmina]

a real life spy thrilled! impecably written, narrated, researched.

[Valentin]

Eine beeindruckende journalistische Leistung. Nur einige ukrainische Protagonisten hätte man sicher über mehr als ihre Trinkfestigkeit und ihren „Kosakengeist“ charakterisieren können. Sei‘s drum: Eben ein Agententhriller der alten Schule, nur wahr.

[Matt Savage]

Reads like a spy thriller. As it mentions in the book, this was a story that came out in dribs and drabs over years, so I didn't really realise how it had ended. Really well written and researched, and I like how objectively it is written. It is certainly not a moral preaching one way or the other

[Filip Olšovský]

One of the most comprehensive and rewarding books I have ever read. It has it all: a broader context, suspense, exclusive access to interviewees, and dozens, if not hundreds, of shocking and new facts. A delight to read from every angle – journalistic, non-fiction and purely narrative.

[Tim]

Otrolig.

[Josh Tucker]

Wild story, well written, with just enough context to flesh out understanding without becoming a history novel. 4.5

[Thomas Krippgans]

Äußerst spannend und detailreich.

[Valeria]

Absolutely riveting. My first 5-star book this year. Could not put it down. Meticulously researched, it excels in bringing the characters to life with empathy and respect. And there is a trace of humour running throughout which is very much appreciated. A veritable tour de force.

[Patrick]

Auf den ersten 200 Seiten verdichtet Pancevski eine dreijährige Recherche und viele Gespräche auf beiden Seiten zu einem spannenden Agententhriller, den das wahre Leben erzählt. Hinten raus, wenn es um die Reaktionen und auch die Winkel der Strafverfolgung geht, zerfasert die Erzählung etwas. Was hängen bleibt: Wie viel Diplomatie im Schatten getätigt wird, wie ein Sabotageakt den Lauf der europäischen Geschichte ändert, und welchen Einschlag diese hätte nehmen können, wäre die Urheberschaft früher bekannt geworden.

[Thomas Schulte]

This is a fascinating and detailed look into the Nord Stream pipelines sabotage and how it was both accomplished and revealed. The ardent German investigators (it was their infrastructure damaged) started off from traffic camera and face recognition tech and opened up the whole mystery. This was made easier by the fact that rented yacht was left basically as-is, complete with DNA evidence.

Since the investigation is ongoing and I guess due to British libel laws, several key figures are given references such as "The Colonel" who capatured Tsemakh, an Ukrainian citizen who was the commander of a Russian-backed separatist air-defense unit of the Russia-backed separatists in the Donetsk region when MH17 was shot down, killing all 298 passengers aboard. So, I couldn't help but try and figure out who that was and my own research led me to believe Roman Chervinsky, outspoken on the military legitimacy of the attacks as being The Colonel. What about "The General", a high-ranking, hulking former official in the Ukrainian intelligence service. He oversaw the entire pipeline sabotage operation, securing roughly $300,000 in private funding to execute it through an unofficial cell dubbed "The Startup". Pancevski's sources indicate that while the general and his cohort conceived the plot as early as 2017, they operated outside official military channels after being sidelined during the 2022 full-scale invasion. Former Ukrainian intelligence chief Vasyl Hrytsak is frequently discussed by geopolitical analysts in the context of Ukraine’s legacy security apparatus and ties to such operations and that's who I thought The General might be. But, there are more than a dozen such hidden identities. What if some are composite characters? I gave up trying to make an exhaustive list. There are over a dozen codenames to decode here.

German authorities have helped, though, "The Captain" is identified in German legal proceedings as veteran Serhii Kuznietsov, who was arrested in Italy. I suppose also arrested Vladimir Z. is one of the six male divers, but I am done trying to complete the mapping.

Right or wrong, a shoestring budget rather than a massive state-backed military adventure funded the attack was pulled off by a small group of people using a rented sailing yacht and standard diving equipment. To avoid suspicion while surveying the pipeline coordinates, the team traveled under the cover story that they were a production crew filming an underwater adult film. The CIA and Dutch intelligence had caught wind of the early plot and pressured Ukrainian leadership to abort it. The saboteurs explicitly misled their Western counterparts, proceeding anyway to permanently disrupt Germany's reliance on billions of dollars in Russian energy. This author points to this as one reason for the current rise of the far-right AfD party in Germany.

The unit was together from before the deed and background stories are interesting here, such as the attack on pro-Russian warlord Givi in Donetsk with an explosive honeypot trap as part of a warlord eradication scheme.

Givi liked her, and invited her back. Before their last tryst, she was given a chunk of plastic explosive connected to a small cellphone that would trigger a bomb when called. She planted the bomb below Givi's bed, attaching it with some sticky tape she carried in her bag. In the morning, she left Givi's house and crossed into Ukrainian territory, a drive of about one hour, passing several checkpoints. After she crossed into Ukraine proper, The Colonel picked her up himself, to make sure she was safe. The next morning, February 8, 2017, he detonated the bomb. After all was said and done, workmen were called in to scrape bits of Givi from the ceiling. The woman was recognized for her service. At the time of this writing, she had changed careers and was working at a gas station in Kyiv. In just over two years, about a dozen rebel leaders were taken out.

It is also interesting to read of the ad hoc smokescreen of finger pointing from the event.

The Russian ambassador to the UN used it as an argument in demanding debates and investigations. Russian officials at all levels advertised the Hersh report as the true account of what had happened.

In March, Putin himself weighed in.

"The American journalist, who has become rather famous now worldwide, carried out such an investigation and as we know, drew a conclusion that the blast on the gas pipelines was organized by the US special services," Putin said, according to the state news agency TASS.

"I fully agree with such conclusions," Putin added.

Online fact-checkers found some errors in the Hersh report, which was based on a single source.

By then, German police had fingerprints and DNA of the actual suspects, and at least one photograph of one of the divers.

first arrest warrant. The investigation, against all odds, was advancing toward issuing its

But nobody asked the cops.

The search for truth on social media had a life of its own.

President Trump, who had always disliked the pipelines, sanctioned Nord Stream 2, and lambasted his successor Biden for lifting those sanctions, joined the chorus.

In an interview with Tucker Carlson, aired about a month after Putin's comments, Trump was asked who blew up the pipelines.

"I don't want to get our country in trouble, so I won't answer it," Trump, who was then in between presidencies, answered.

"But I can tell you who it wasn't. Russia. They said Russia blew up their own pipeline. It wasn't Russia."

When the media later revealed details from the German investigation and named Andromeda as the yacht used for the sabotage, Hersh wrote another blog post and said that the yacht story had been manufactured by the CIA.

[Michael]

The Nord Stream Conspiracy is a reporter’s look at an act of sabotage with far reaching impact across Europe. The writing is clipped as if it were a long series in a newspaper. It was interesting enough but it did feel a bit dry in the narrative. Thank you to #netgalley and #henryholtandco for the opportunity to preview this book.

[Tim Kickbusch]

Teilweise wirre Dramaturgie, unnötige Zeit- und Ortssprünge, merkwürdige Fehler und ein Autor, der sich in dieser Story immer wieder unangenehm selbst zur Geschichte macht.

[Dan]

My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for an advance copy of this book on real-life events dealing with war, politics, sabotage, and even old-fashioned dogged police investigations, about an event that was daring in its actions, confounded those who should know better, an event that will go down in special operations history, accomplished by a group of patriotic amateurs.

The Russian and Ukraine Conflict has pointed out many modern problems in the world today. What does a govenment allow before they actually have to do something. American policy seems surprisingly Russian, which comes as no surprise with America's current administration. Most of Europe seems supportive of the Ukraine. Except when it comes to money. Germany while pledging support was also paying billions to Russia for natural gas. As a country on the move, Germany had a need, that Russia was more than willing to fill. And also to many made them a legitimate target. When the Nord Stream Pipeline suddenly blew-up, in a few spots the suspect list was pretty long, with a lot of powerful players. The United States, who wanted to sell gas to Germany, Russia as a false flag operation. Germany to get out of the deal. Some eyes looked at Ukraine, but an operation like that was judged too big, too expensive, and out of the countries reach. Out of the country maybe. However for a few talented insiders, a group of patriotic amateurs and whole lot of luck, sometime things can go right. The Nord Stream Conspiracy: The Inside Story of the Explosions That Shook the World by investigative journalist Bojan Pancevski is look at the incident, the people who might have been involved, the real world investigation, and what happened after, about an act so brazen that special operations people will be studying it for years.

Germany needed energy, and Russia was willing to supply it. All Germany had to do was keep quiet about certain actions that Russia was doing in Europe, invading neighbors, taking care of dissidents, even targeted assassinations. And pay billions of dollars a year to fund Russia's efforts to destabilize Europe. Germany was more than happy, making the United States mad for being cut out of selling America's gas, Poland annoyed at helping Russia. And the Ukraine for helping to fund an invasion of their territory, while saying how Germany was against it. This detente on gas lasted until the pipelines were dealt a catastrophic failure, due to bomb being accurately placed in a way to make them expensive and timely to fix. This operation was thought of as too big, needing to much people, training, specialized equipment, and lots of money. Some thought America, with proof offered of American ships near the site. Some thought Russia, again with ships near the pipeline. German investigators began to slowly probe, to ask questions, received reluctant help from allies, and came up with their own answers. All shared with the author, who lays out the evidence like an Agatha Christie novel.

One can see where some people might have a problem with this book. There are a lot of codenames. The General, the Colonel, Cousteau, The Soldier. Some might find this odd, I find this the best way to keep these people both out of trouble, or using British libel laws to sue. The book is written like a Tom Clancy book with a political understanding of the world, not a Reagan view of the world. The book moves almost from the first page, showing a world that few of us understand, though we live in it, with a view that is almost depressing in how cynical, corrupt and chaotic it is. The writing is really good, and in some spots funny. Pancevski meets with members of the Ukraine forces who might have been involved in the bombing, with a pen from the German investigators. The constant luck that the team had, and the bad luck that got them identified. The fact that the whole world is saved on data streams, and yet it still takes humans to get to the heart of the matter.

A fantastic book, both intriguing, depressing, and enlightening. A view of the Ukraine conflict much different than what we see, or what we are being told. A book that constantly amazed me, sadden me, and made me mad. One that I won't easily forget.

[Martin Boer]

Just finished The Nord Stream Conspiracy: The Inside Story of the Explosions That Shook the World.

What a page-turner.

The case itself continues to unfold, and debates over motives, knowledge, responsibility, and consequences are far from settled. Even in the short period since the book's publication in June 2026, new developments have emerged, including an additional arrest. This is a fascinating account of what may ultimately be remembered as the most consequential act of sabotage in modern history.

Nord Stream was never just a pipeline. It sat at the heart of Europe's energy architecture, controversially linking Russia and Germany through one of the continent's most strategically significant pieces of infrastructure. For many Ukrainians, Nord Stream represented more than energy infrastructure. It symbolized Europe's long and sometimes uncomfortable dependence on Russian energy despite years of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Its destruction carries profound implications for European energy security, the war in Ukraine, transatlantic relations, and the future of Europe's economic relationship with Russia.

What struck me most about this excellent book by Bojan Pancevski, Chief European Political Correspondent of The Wall Street Journal, was the extraordinary combination of bravery, ingenuity, and sense of mission attributed to the Ukrainian team behind the operation. If the book's account proves broadly accurate, the sheer audacity of what they set out to achieve, and apparently did achieve, is remarkable. Faced with a vastly larger adversary and fighting for their country's survival, the operation reflects a level of ingenuity, determination, and asymmetric thinking that is difficult not to admire. Equally impressive is the professionalism, persistence, and commitment of the German investigators who spent years painstakingly reconstructing the trail despite immense political, diplomatic, and operational complexity.

It captures a reality often lost in the headlines: today's geopolitical contests involve not only armies and diplomats, but also intelligence agencies, critical infrastructure, cyber capabilities, covert operations, and strategic communications.

Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and rapidly shifting geopolitical currents, the book feels more relevant than ever. It is a brilliant blend of geopolitics, intelligence, security, energy policy, and modern warfare, told with nuance and a deep appreciation for the complexity of the actors involved. An outstanding and highly enjoyable work that often feels like a thriller, while reminding the reader that the events described are helping shape Europe's future in real time.

[Brendan (History Nerds United)]

Was there some sort of massive conspiracy to memory-hole the Nord Stream sabotage? When I grabbed The Nord Stream Conspiracy by Bojan Pancevski, my first thought was...what Nord Stream explosion? Turns out it was a big one.

It turns out, around the beginning of the war in Ukraine, some people decided to blow up the one of the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines which runs from Russia to Germany. There was a lot of finger pointing, but no resolution as to who did it and why. Pancevski says he has the true story, and I believe him!

The book is a mostly entertaining but overstuffed narrative. I will not fault the author for lack of access. In fact, I might fault him for having so much he doesn't know when to pull back and stay on task. I might be too hard on the book. Pancevski comes with the goods, and shines a light on some very entertaining characters. However, most of them are referred to by various nicknames usually tied to their job or leadership position. You get to the point where you just want the author to focus on what is happening rather than who everyone is. One person, who helps with the explosives, gets his own pseudonym, but only shows up again in the narrative in quick two references. It's choices like this that make the story seem hectic rather than propulsive.

However, as I said, I feel like I am maybe being too hard on the book. I finished it relatively quickly, but felt I could have been done much sooner and would have been more satisfied. I'd say that if this looks like fun to you, definitely pick it up. It's not bad by any measure. I'm just left feeling that it could have been much better with some different storytelling choices.

(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by Henry Holt and NetGalley.)

[Mantas Tamulevičius]

Kaip pagyrose knygai rašo „The Rest is Politics“ tinklalaidės bendraautoris Alistair Campbell - absoliutus trileris. Viena problema su tokiais trileriais, žinoma, yra ta, kad tyrimas ir knyga yra daugiausia paremti konfidencialiais pokalbiais su pareigūnais, dirbančiais tarnybose, kurių veikla iš prigimties yra slapta ir neviešintina.

Bet šiuo atveju, regis, daugumą Pancevski'io įžvalgų patvirtina ir vykstantis Vokietijos policijos tyrimas bei spauda.

Knyga susideda iš kelių dalių. Viena vertus tai geopolitinė „Nord Stream“ vamzdyno reikšmės apžvalga ir trumpa istorija (taip, mūsų regionui dauguma dalykų aiškinami darželinuko lygmeniu, bet knyga nebuvo rašyta mūsų regionui), parodanti, kokia siaubinga buvo Vokietijos politika Rusijos atžvilgiu, kad ir kas eitų kanclerio pareigas (ir bene žalingiausia buvo valdant A. Merkel).

Taip pat tai ir operacijos apybraiža. Tiek ją organizavusių vadų, tiek daugiausia iš civilių narų sudarots komandos pasakojimas, kaip buvo įvykdyta viena įžūliausių ir įspūdingiausių sabotažo operacijų modernioje istorijoje. Neturinti lygių. JAV laivyno ruoniai neneria į tokį gylį, į kokį žvarbioje ir atšiaurioje Baltijos jūroje nėrė civiliai, susprogdinę pagrindinį Rusijos geopolitinį ginklą. Ir kokie nesutarimai dėl šios operacijos vyravo ir politiniame Ukrainos istablišmente. Zelenskis nušviečiamas irgi ne pačiomis geriausiomis spalvomis (bet, žinoma, liūto dalis tos nešlovės tenka Jermakui).

Taip pat ir pasakojimas apie vykdytą ir tebevykstantį policijos tyrimą. Kaip siūlo galą pavyko užčiupti dėl profesionalių žvalgybininkų veiksmų ar politinio spaudimo, o surinkus informaciją iš greičio fiksavimo kamerų kelyje į Rugeno salą.

Ir didžiulis privalumas, kad puikiai klausosi audioformatu.

[Don Fisk]

Quite a feat to convey this much detail information and make it intensely interesting and involving. Bojan has done an incredible job of telling what seems like a pretty full story of the entire task of recruiting the right divers, finding a suitable yacht, the involvement of German, Ukraine, Polish enforcement agencies, and key figures in these establishments, legal issues, EU border practices, legal outcomes for those involved etc, a lesson in what is involved in diving to 100 metres (a bloody lot!!), all the while keeping it (almost) as interesting as a Hitchcock mystery and surprise novel.

Had we decided to blow up a pipeline like that, Romann (Dr Dieter Romann, chief of Germany's Federal Police) once said dryly, we would have taken years to plan it, and we would have used several ships, including one filled entirely with medical staff and health and safety experts.

The same German coast guard ship that investigated Nord Stream was now carrying the German investigation team, commanded by "The Chief Investigator". They had to use a smaller boat to board the cargo ship.
There, for the first time, he grasped what Andromeda's crew had endured.
The weather was foul. Waves tossed his boat like a child's toy. But the waves were smaller than those the Andromeda had faced when it sailed into the storm. He knew this because his experts had modelled the Andromeda's entire voyage: wave heights, water temperature, how the yacht behaved in howling winds. No single detail was left unanalysed; everything was filed neatly in his ever growing paper folder.
Wrapped in his jacket, with the Baltic wind howling in his ears, he was thinking about the Ukrainians. The sea was black, cold and menacing. The horizon was shrouded in heavy rainclouds and fog.
He imagined how it must have felt being on the Andromeda and then plunging into the black abyss all the way to the bottom, the sea a living force beneath him. Not a man prone to anxiety, he nevertheless found the notion of deep-sea diving under those conditions horrific. The mountaineer was outside his element.
"It was no child's play for them" he told me later.
With time he learned to respect what the Ukrainians did. Or rather how they did it.
"The stakes were so high, they wagered their lives." he said.

Mention of Angela Merkel, a terrific lover of things Russian:
Nord Stream was a necessity, she wrote, because "Germany's strong industrial base had to be secured." Failing to work with Putin was "not an option."

Bojan manages to bring in details of eg. deep-sea diving at 100 metres without disturbing the narrative - exceedingly nicely done. He doesn't hesitate to acknowledge skills or manners (politesse) of agents of enforcement agencies as well as the actors in the bombing.

[Louis]

A true story that reads like a spy thriller? It really does feel that way, but only for a total of maybe 30 or 40 pages, not enough on its own to make the whole book rewarding. It’s not that the story itself in any way falls short; no effort at all is required to imagine this in the form of a Hollywood action flick. And it would be a good one, so it’s too bad we probably will never see it, given just how politically fraught was the act of sabotage detailed in the pages of this book. Pancevski even plays a “Heat” angle on the whole thing, letting the investigation of the crime play out alongside the machinations of the... criminals? (Depends on whom you ask.) He tells the inside story of both, with an even hand and with great care given to the personalities involved, many of them larger than life.

But this is a book written by a journalist, after all, and the storytelling here is in no way embellished or dramatized. Rather, Pancevski sticks to the facts, and in doing so does justice to the richness of his reporting. His sensibilities are also well suited to present to the reader the many nuances revealed here about intra-European politics, where the long shadows of past conflict are constantly thrown over emerging realities of the present. Much is revealed about Ukraine and its relationship with its neighbors to both the east and west, as well as, of course, their mutual history, relationships, and dispositions toward Russia.

Now (as I write this in 2026) it is still too early to know what all the implications of the Nord Stream attack will be for bending the course of history, but this book shows that it’s not too early to use the event as a lens through which to understand the forces of history that gave birth to it and that will shape the future.

[Kandace]

In 2022, seismologists in Scandinavia detected what they thought to be an undersea earthquake near Bornhold, an island in Denmark. As it was later revealed, this was not an earthquake but a set of bombs destroying the Nord Stream pipeline. This pipeline was worth $20billion and transported Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea. These explosions burst the pipeline, but also set off a series of events in global geopolitics, the European economy, and caused tensions within the NATO alliance due to a manhunt. Wall Street Journal correspondent Bojan Pancevski details the lead up to the explosions, the explosion, and what subsequently followed. Pancevski includes interviews and accounts from German investigators, their political overseers, and the Ukrainian team (which included intelligence offices, military personnel, and civilian divers) behind the explosions. This account addresses the two main theories regarding who was behind the attack and how these theories came to the world stage.


Pancevski gives us a very detailed, informative account for what happened with the Nord Stream Conspiracy. Personally, this was fairly eye-opening. For something that shook the world, I never once heard about it. It makes you wonder if it was something those involved tried to cover up and keep from the media. The fact that so many Ukrainian civilians were involved in the overall efforts to defend Ukraine the Russia-Ukraine war and did not get their recognition is quite sad.
This is definitely an informative read and opens your eyes to how something can shake up the entire geopolitical world. 4/5 stars.

[Chris Aylott]

I certainly picked the right time to read this. There have been big developments in Nord Stream case in the days since I finished this book, and I would not have understood them without what I read here.

This reads like a spy thriller, because it is. Pancevski has a unique perspective that normally only fictional authors get, which is that he has had long-time relationships with people on both sides of the story and somehow managed the delicate dance of learning what they were doing without interfering in their actions. That is top-notch reporting in any situation, never mind as one as sensitive as this one.

The book highlights the bravery and resourcefulness of the Ukrainian people, who managed to improvise an effective defense against the Russian invasion despite the fact the government leadership was completely unprepared. The Nord Stream bombing represents a high point in this effort, as a small team of highly-trained civilians and military officers pulled off one of the most daring sabotage operations in military history.

At the same time, Pancevski gives equal attention to the German police. I'm firmly on the "the Ukrainians are heroes" side of the argument, but you have to respect the police's determination that a crime has been committed, and that they will investigate and collect the evidence needed for a conviction. And they do, doing traditional police work one step at a time, relentlessly solving the case despite a number of obstacles thrown in your path. I admired their work even as I rooted for their suspects to escape.

A fantastic book that sheds light on a dark and very complicated world.

[Molly]

THE NORD STREAM CONSPIRACY

This is my type of book. A ragtag group of highly skilled patriotic citizens sent on a dangerous and almost impossible mission. In the midst of the Russian/Ukranian war, an explosion occurred in the Nord Stream Pipeline on September 26, 2022. Written by Wall Street Journal correspondent Bojan Pancevski, he examines the events from mainly two perspectives: The Ukrainian Startup Group and the German Investigators.

The Nord Stream Pipeline supplies Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea. It has long been controversial within Europe, opposed by several countries who also provide gas through land based pipelines. There is a lot of geopolitical background in this book, with terrific explanations on the various perspectives and reactions to the explosion. Political maneuvering and scheming adds excitement and intrigue throughout the whole tale. Although written through a political perspective, it is well researched and informative.

Who did it and how was it done? Will they be caught and punished? Or honored as heroes? And of course, were the US and Russian involved? Tons of speculation and blame here. It’s not a book you can rush through, it takes attention to detail with many coded names and involved countries, and plots all happening simultaneously. But it’s worth the effort if you like a good real life geopolitical thriller.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bojan Pancevski, and Henry Holt & Company for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Nicola Waters]

Reviews of this book have variants of ‘like a thriller’. Whether it’s a good read depends entirely on whether that works for you. The writer obviously has impressive sourcing, and it ought to be a gripping read- but I just found it relentlessly annoying, in large part due to the writing style. Instead the prose of a serious journalist covering an important story, it’s this infantile style that one newspaper reviewer remarked seems designed to get Hollywood’s attention. And there are silly nicknames used throughout, even when there’s obviously no need- for example, if you want to know who the Germans arrested, it takes approximately 10 seconds on google. The name is public! I don’t doubt it’d take little effort to find most of the other names.
There’s no pretence at objectivity - anything non-heroic is brushed aside with well, the Russians are worse. Which is of course true in general, but I’d expect better of a journalist.
Apparently the writer originally covered the same events for his newspaper, the WSJ- I would imagine that’s a better option than this book, if only because WSJ editors would have been involved.

[Janine]

Reading like a “who done it,” this nonfiction book is the true story of a rogue act of sabotage that curtailed Europe’s reliance on Russian oil.

Monday, September 23, 2023, at 2:03 am, an explosion underground in the Baltic Sea blew out one of four massive conduits that make up the Nord Stream pipeline. The event had massive repercussions, disrupting European economies and triggering a massive manhunt that strained alliances within NATO.

The author was given exclusive access to information from key players - the saboteurs, high level intelligence personnel and investigators. The mission was ostensibly unofficial but was authorized at the highest levels of the Ukrainian government. The act itself was done on a shoestring budget and the telling is fascinating as are the theories that arose after the event of who was responsible - Russia or the US.

This is a gripping story filled with moral complexities. It reads like a thriller and delivers a solid punch about rationales that enter into world events. Highly recommend.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for granting me access to this ARC.

[Nuno]

História dos homens e mulher ucranianos que planearam e executaram o maior e mais consequente acto de sabotagem da História moderna. Quando os gasodutos Nordstream explodiram a 80 metros de profundidade a 26 de Setembro de 2022, eles conseguiram alterar o cálculo e direcção geopolítica de toda a Europa.

O livro é fascinante e lê-se tal e qual um filme de espionagem - só que é verdade. Conhecemos os meandros dos serviços secretos militares ucranianos com os seus masterminds, o Coronel e o General, e os aventureiros mergulhadores civis que foram recrutados para o trabalho, Iceman, Freya, Smiley e Cousteau, apoiados pelo Soldado, o Skipper e o Capitão. É a narração dum feito de bravura física, operando por baixo dum mar Báltico negro e agitado, de intrepidez e de planeamento improvisado com recursos escassos.

Bojan Pancevski, correspondente principal do Wall Street Journal na Europa, apoiou-se no seu acesso privilegiado a membros de altíssimo nível do Governo e serviços de inteligência ucranianos, americanos, alemães e outros.

Conhecemos também a competente e persistente equipa de investigação da polícia alemã que deslindou o caso e identificou e perseguiu os mergulhadores e o modo sistemático e rigoroso como o fez. Pancevski traça um paralelismo entre estes investigadores e os executantes do plano: sem tomar partidos nem fazer juízos, demonstra a perspectiva, só aparentemente irreconciliável, dos dois lados que agiram no cumprimento do dever à pátria.

Quanto aos valentes ucranianos, Pancevski deixa a interrogação para a qual não tenho resposta: será tudo permitido na defesa da sobrevivência da Pátria, incluindo causar dano a outros?

[Lisa Carlson]

Chief European political correspondent for the WSJ, Pulitzer prize finalist Bojan Pancevski sets the stage for a compelling read in his reporting of the 2022 explosions of the Nord Streams in The Nord Stream Conspiracy. It reads like a thriller. First, never heard of the Nord Streams which were constructed in 2010 and 2016 between Russia and Germany in the Baltic Sea. However, the United States was strongly opposed because it gave too much reliance on Russia's energy and Putin's ability to coerce. Angela Merkel was Chancellor of Germany during this process. She was a study in low key pragmatism. This is a fascinating story of the players, the diving team and the geopolitical ramifications evident between the lines. It would seem clear why this wasn't at the top of the news cycle in the US; back in 2010 Obama was hunting Bin Laden and during 2016 we were dealing with Trump.

[Holly]

Well written nonfiction about the Nord Stream pipeline explosion. It reads as a geopolitical thriller yet it’s about real people in harrowing times. The book is well researched with the author interviewing many of the main players in this high stakes drama. In fact, the real story line is about the actual people who planned, participated and funded this effort. The book starts as a recap of sorts about the Russia/Ukraine war, then moves into the planning, recruiting, training, and participation in the pipeline event. A good deal of the book then spends time describing the aftermath in terms of legal assessments, politics and individuals. It’s fascinating while the characters are both fearsome and fearless. A very interesting book.

[Jan Hein de Jong]

A well-researched account of a spectacular act of sabotage, lifting the veil on special operations, Ukrainian politics, and German police work.

What sticks with me is how corrupt and messy Ukraine really is, which is not something the public gets to see all that much here in the West.

Also, I knew building Nord Stream was not the best of ideas, but the fact they went through with this after Russia’s annexation of Crimea is simply bizarre, even without the benefit of hindsight.

Why not 4 or 5 stars, you ask? Honestly, the book needs - nay, deserves - a better editor. The content is great, but the writing is quite bad, and the book feels like a draft that still needs some culling and restructuring.

[Miguel]

Nordstrom

For someone going out of their way to try to be informed on the Ukrainian war, I was utterly in the dark on what was otherwise a very strong case made out in this book. I suppose it is no wonder that it hasn't been widely publicized here in Germany or anywhere else. The author did an outstanding job given that I was fully sceptical going into it thinking he might be a crank, but he proves almost beyond a reasonable doubt on the details of the pipeline sabotage. He also cracked open some of my own assumptions on the major players - although not wavering in the belief that Russia will eventually be defeated in this conflict.