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.

Autorentext

Bojan Pancevski is the award-winning Chief European Political Correspondent of the Wall Street Journal, covering European and global affairs. He produces major investigations, agenda-setting scoops, analyses of politics and diplomacy, and deeply reported features. Before joining the WSJ, he covered Europe for The Times and the Sunday Times. He has won journalism awards in Britain, the U.S. and Germany, and was part of the Journal's team of Pulitzer Prize finalists for International Reporting in 2025. He is fluent in several European languages, including German and Russian.

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A FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2026

'Totally fascinating... As compelling as a spy thriller'
SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE

'A truly riveting account of the most notorious act of sabotage in modern history'
PETER FRANKOPAN

'Jaw-dropping... a pearl of a story'
RORY CARROLL

'All the elements of a fictional thriller... I can already see the blockbuster movie'
RORY CLEMENTS

The explosive inside story of the most daring act of sabotage in modern history: the bombing of the $20 billion Nord Stream Pipeline. Written by the award-winning Chief European Political Correspondent of the Wall Street Journal

In September 2022, Scandinavian seismologists detected what seemed to be 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 under the Baltic Sea. The mysterious blasts shifted global geopolitics, disrupted European economies and triggered a manhunt that strained 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? Was it part of the shadow war between Russia and the West? Could Putin himself have been behind it? Drawing on years of first-hand reporting and 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 correspondent reveals the true story behind one of the most remarkable geopolitical mysteries of our time.