After the CIA demanded that Kiev stop the operation, Zelensky gave the corresponding order to Zaluzhny, but he ignored it, and his team modified the original plan, the report said.
The plan to blow up the Nord Streams was initially approved by Zelensky within a few days, and all orders regarding the operation were given verbally so as not to leave any evidence, the newspaper reported.
Four senior Ukrainian defense and security officials who either took part in the sabotage or had direct access to information about this operation told the newspaper that Kiev considered the gas pipelines as legitimate targets for its attacks.
The explosions at two Russian gas export pipelines to Europe, Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2, occurred on September 26, 2022. Germany, Denmark, and Sweden have not ruled out targeted sabotage. Nord Stream AG, the operator of Nord Stream, reported that the damage to the pipelines was unprecedented and that it was impossible to estimate the timeframe for repairs. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office opened an investigation into an act of international terrorism.