My Full Remarks before the United Nations Security Council

July 11, 2023

Thank you very much. 

My name is Jeffrey Brodsky.

I am the only journalist to travel to all four blast sites of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on the Baltic Sea. 

I have been investigating the Nord Stream sabotage since the day it occurred on September 26, 2022.

I appear before the United Nations Security Council on my own behalf. I represent no government or organization in the testimony that I will deliver.

The attack on the Nord Stream pipelines is likely the most severe act of eco-terrorism and the largest instance of industrial sabotage in history.

Under the United Nations Charter, two of the functions and powers of the Security Council are “to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations” and “to investigate any dispute or situation which might lead to international friction.”

Bringing the perpetrator of the Nord Stream sabotage to international justice and compensating the harmed parties will advance international peace and security, and reduce international friction, as well as further the aim of preventing future attacks on critical international infrastructure. 

I therefore appeal to the Security Council to execute its functions and power under the UN Charter by conducting an impartial investigation into the Nord Stream sabotage.

In late May, I participated in an independent expedition to all four blast sites of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. 

Through the expedition, underwater drone images and videos and sonar images of the damaged pipelines were obtained. These images and videos had never been seen by the public before, they offer unique insights into the amount of explosives used in the attack, the type of charges and their placement. 

By analyzing the expedition's data, both military and civilian experts have drawn conclusions about how the pipelines were damaged. Notably, previous reports stating that over 500 kilograms of explosives were used at each blast site were proven inaccurate. Based on my reporting and the expedition's findings, the actual amount of explosives used ranged from 10 to 50 kilograms, likely leaning towards the lower end of this range.

However, neither the data obtained on the expedition nor my investigative work has yet been able to conclusively attribute the sabotage to a specific nation-state.

Perhaps only the United Nations Security Council would be able to  conclusively attribute the sabotage to a specific nation-state – and to reach this objective, I am confident many people around the world would welcome this body’s assistance. 

The European Union, moreover, warned that “any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response.” Yet it remains unclear what actions the EU has taken to identify the perpetrator of the attack.

Furthermore, it is widely known among members of this body and the general public that three countries – Germany, Denmark and Sweden – have carried out investigations into the sabotage.

Regrettably, none of these countries has yet disclosed the results of its investigations, despite nine months having passed since the sabotage took place.

I have personally contacted the German, Danish and Swedish investigators several times for their comment on my reporting and the expedition´s findings, but they have refused to offer any comment. 

It is unclear why these countries have not shared their findings with the public.

The Baltic Sea is likely the most heavily trafficked and monitored body of water in the world. 

As one European parliamentarian told me: “Do you think that a terrorist attack like this, in international waters, in a sea that is observed by many different surveillance systems, that this could happen without anybody taking notice? That’s hard to believe. It wasn’t an attack on Mars, it was in the Baltic Sea.”

There is sufficient economic motivation for the three countries to release their findings as well.

The pipelines cost over 23 billion dollars to build, and their owners, operators and stakeholders are from a number of countries.

A good deal of the inflation that is currently hurting families and small businesses throughout Europe has been brought on by the lack of inexpensive natural gas. And Germany’s industrial base has suffered particularly from the sabotage as manufacturing costs have risen. Nord Stream 1 alone could supply 58% of Germany’s annual gas consumption, while, according to a study, “Germany’s three-decade-long trade surplus flipped into a deficit, driven by the rise in gas prices.”

Furthermore, the ecological impact of the sabotage is likely tremendous. The explosions caused what could be the largest release of methane in history – a greenhouse gas more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Unfortunately, as of now, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden have shown no willingness to share the results of their investigations with the public.

Of particular interest, Sweden was the first country to arrive at the crime scenes and conducted investigations, including the removal of debris and materials. 

In fact, Swedish investigators removed debris and materials from one of the crime scenes on at least two occasions. In October of 2022, when Expressen, a Swedish newspaper, published images and videos of the ruptures in one of the pipelines, media attention on the sabotage increased again. The Swedish investigators subsequently closed off the area for some days and did some more investigative work. 

It remains unclear why Swedish investigators took these actions and what information the debris and materials that they removed could provide about the sabotage.

And even when – or if – these three countries release their findings, it doesn't appear as if Sweden, in particular, will tell the world who is responsible for the sabotage. 

The Swedish prosecutor “has previously said that the main purpose of the Swedish preliminary investigation is to find out whether Sweden or Swedish infrastructure has been used for the attack and whether there are people who should be prosecuted for participation.” That was an excerpt from an English translation of an article published in a European newspaper last May. 

The Nord Stream sabotage stands as one of the most significant acts of eco-terrorism and industrial sabotage in history. It also represents one of the most pressing geopolitical mysteries of our time.

Is it sufficient to inform global citizens, the numerous businesses and the many countries affected by the sabotage merely about whether "Sweden or Swedish infrastructure has been used in the attack and whether there are people who should be prosecuted for participation"?

I think not. 

The nation-state or -states responsible for this sabotage must be held accountable for their violation of international law. The perpetrators must be identified, brought to justice, and the affected parties must be duly compensated.

Many people worldwide have lost faith in national and international institutions. I hope that condemning this act of global terrorism and swiftly establishing a UN Security Council-led investigation into this enormous global crime can help restore some of this lost faith.

The world is watching – and expecting – the UN Security Council to uncover the truth about the sabotage and to share this truth publicly.

Thank you very much. 

I can be found on Twitter @JeffreyBrodsky5 and on my personal website: jeffreyabrodsky.com.

*Bryce Greene was asked by Dmitry Polyanskiy, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations to brief the United Nations Security Council on the Nord Stream sabotage. Bryce recommended that I also brief the Council as I am the only journalist to travel to all four blast sites on the Baltic Sea. Bryce and I appeared before the Council under one condition: that we could say anything we wanted. We appeared before the United Nations Security Council on our own behalf. We represent NO government or organization in the testimony that we delivered.

Some of Bryce´s work on the Nord Stream sabotage can be read here and he can be found on Twitter @TheGreeneBJ.