Zelensky Denies Ukraine's Role in Nord Stream Sabotage
Ukrainian president states Kyiv had no official part in pipeline explosions amid German investigation.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Acumulare de gaze în apă, după sabotarea gazoductului Nord Stream. Foto: Profimedia Images
Photograph: Digi 24 (embedded from source)
What this story says
- President Volodymyr Zelensky stated Ukraine has never officially participated in any operation related to the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines.
- German prosecutors have concluded that the Nord Stream pipeline explosions were ordered by Ukrainian state officials.
- Croatian police arrested a Ukrainian national at Germany's request in connection with the sabotage.
- A previous Ukrainian national, Serhii K., was arrested in Italy and extradited to Germany over the sabotage.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 30 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 19 of the 49 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
59/100
Hype
20/100
49 sources · methodology
President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that Ukraine has never officially participated in any operation related to the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. His remarks follow conclusions by German prosecutors that Ukrainian state officials ordered the explosions. Croatian police arrested a Ukrainian national at Germany's request in connection with the sabotage. Another Ukrainian national, Serhii K., was previously arrested in Italy and extradited to Germany over the incident.
Conflicting Accounts of Ukrainian Involvement
German prosecutors have concluded that the Nord Stream pipeline explosions were ordered by Ukrainian state officials, as reported by Digi 24. President Zelensky, however, stated that Ukraine has never officially participated in any such operation, adding that Germany is aware Ukraine was not behind the planning, execution, or origin of the sabotage. He expressed hope that the case would not affect bilateral relations, particularly given Germany's support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Zelensky also affirmed Ukraine's readiness to cooperate with investigators to clarify all circumstances, as noted by Live Mint and LB.ua.
What the coverage left out
None of the centre or right-rated reports below mention the specific conclusion by German prosecutors that the Nord Stream pipeline explosions were ordered by Ukrainian state officials. The full report from Digi 24, rated centre, does mention this conclusion from German prosecutors.
Coverage settled. We checked this 10 times and stopped on 29 Aug 2026, 09:30. The figures above are what it finished at.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
7 rated outlets
- All nine left‑rated outlets reported that President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine did not participate in the Nord Stream sabotage and that Kyiv is ready to cooperate with investigators. Each digest led on the denial and the willingness to assist the inquiry.
- RBC‑Ukraine’s digest said Zelensky made the denial at the Ukraine‑Nordic‑Baltic Eight summit and affirmed openness to a joint probe. 444.hu noted that German officials claim they are certain Ukraine was not behind the explosion. franceinfo.fr reported a German prosecutor’s conclusion that the blasts were ordered by the Ukrainian state.
- Dnevni list Danas’s digest focused on German opposition parties AfD and BSW demanding that Berlin stop sending money and weapons to Ukraine, and said a recent arrest in Croatia falsified the allegation of Ukrainian involvement. None of the left‑rated digests mentioned cost estimates, alternative suspects, or provided direct quotations from Zelensky.
Centre
9 rated outlets
- Centre-rated reports led with President Zelensky's denial of Ukrainian involvement in the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage. These reports highlighted his statement that Ukraine has never officially participated in such operations. They also mentioned the arrest of a Ukrainian national in Croatia at Germany's request and the previous arrest and extradition of another Ukrainian national, Serhii K., to Germany. Several centre-rated outlets noted Zelensky's assertion that Germany is aware of Ukraine's non-involvement and his emphasis on maintaining strong bilateral partnerships. Digi 24, in its full report, detailed the timeline of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipeline damage in September 2022 and the subsequent investigations by Germany, Sweden, and Denmark.
Right
14 rated outlets
- Right-rated reports focused on President Zelensky's denial of Ukraine's role in the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage. La Nación's digest stated that German prosecution claimed Ukrainian authorities ordered the sabotage. Protothema's digest quoted Zelensky saying Ukraine is not responsible for the explosions. BT's digest included Zelensky's comment that it is important for Ukraine not to lose the trust of countries that helped during the war.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Zelensky Denies Ukraine's Role in Nord Stream Sabotage?
- Of the 30 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 23% are rated left, 30% are rated centre, 47% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 49. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Zelensky Denies Ukraine's Role in Nord Stream Sabotage left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 30 rated outlets on this story, 23% are rated left, 30% are rated centre, 47% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Zelensky Denies Ukraine's Role in Nord Stream Sabotage biased?
- Zelensky Denies Ukraine's Role in Nord Stream Sabotage is one event reported by 49 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered Zelensky Denies Ukraine's Role in Nord Stream Sabotage?
- 49 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What did President Zelensky say about Ukraine's involvement in the Nord Stream sabotage?
- President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine has never officially participated in any operation related to the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. He also indicated that Germany is aware that Ukraine was not involved in the planning, execution, or origin of the operation.
- What have German prosecutors concluded regarding the Nord Stream explosions?
- German prosecutors have concluded that the underwater explosions that damaged the Nord Stream pipelines were ordered by Ukrainian state officials. This conclusion has been reported by some outlets covering the story.
- Have any arrests been made in connection with the Nord Stream sabotage?
- Yes, Croatian police arrested a Ukrainian national at Germany's request in connection with the sabotage. Previously, a Ukrainian national named Serhii K. was arrested in Italy and extradited to Germany over the incident.
Read it at the source
81 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
10- Zelensky says Ukraine had no role in Nord Stream pipeline blasts (opens Meduza in a new tab)
- Zelensky Says Ukraine Is Not Behind Nord Stream Explosion (opens telex.hu in a new tab)
- Nord Stream – Politically Spicy Sabotage (opens Dnevni list Danas in a new tab)
Dnevni list Danas — is Dnevni list Danas biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelenski Reiterates Ukraine's Innocence in Attack on Nord Stream (opens La Opinion in a new tab)
La Opinion — is La Opinion biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Zelensky Says Ukraine Was Not Involved in Nord Stream Explosion, Ready to Help with Investigation (opens 444.hu in a new tab)
- Ukraine Did Not Participate in the Destruction of the Nord Stream Gas Pipelines, Zelensky Says (opens Novinky.cz in a new tab)
Novinky.cz — is Novinky.cz biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Volodymyr Zelensky Assures that Ukraine Has Not Taken Part in the Sabotage of the Nord Stream Gas Pipeline (opens franceinfo.fr in a new tab)
franceinfo.fr — is franceinfo.fr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelenskyy: Ukraine Has Not Given the Order to Blow up Nord Stream 2 (opens DR in a new tab)
Centre
14- Zelenskyy Repeats Ukraine Not Behind Nord Stream Attack (opens cedarnews.net in a new tab)
cedarnews.net — is cedarnews.net biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelenskiy says Ukraine not behind Nord Stream blasts, cooperating with probe (opens WTVB in a new tab)
- Zelenskiy says Ukraine not behind Nord Stream blasts (opens PerthNow in a new tab)
- Zelenskyy repeats Ukraine not behind Nord Stream attack (opens Deutsche Welle in a new tab)
Deutsche Welle — is Deutsche Welle biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Selenskyj: Ukraine Was Not Involved in Attacks on North Stream Pipelines (opens stern.de in a new tab)
- Zelenski Claims that Ukraine "Has Never Officially Participated in Any Operation Related to Sabotage on the North Stream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (opens Digi 24 in a new tab)
- Zelenskyy Denies Ukrainian Involvement in Nord Stream Attack (opens Ekstra Bladet in a new tab)
Ekstra Bladet — is Ekstra Bladet biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Ukraine. Nord Stream: Zelensky Insists His Country Did Not Participate in the Sabotage of the Gas Pipeline (opens leprogres.fr in a new tab)
leprogres.fr — is leprogres.fr biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 6 more
- Ukraine. Nord Stream: Zelensky Insists His Country Did Not Participate in the Sabotage of the Gas Pipeline (opens ledauphine.com in a new tab)
ledauphine.com — is ledauphine.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sabotage of the Nord Stream Gas Pipeline: Volodymyr Zelensky Denies Any Involvement of Ukraine (opens Sud Ouest in a new tab)
- Zelensky Comes Out of Silence and Denies Any Involvement of Ukraine in the Sabotage of Nord Stream (opens La Libre in a new tab)
- Zelensky says Ukraine had no role in Nord Stream pipeline blast (opens South China Morning Post in a new tab)
South China Morning Post — is South China Morning Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Had No Role in Nord Stream Pipeline Blast (opens Bloomberg in a new tab)
- Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Had No Role in Nord Stream Pipeline Blast (opens Live Mint in a new tab)
Right
17- Zelenskyy: Ukraine Not Behind 2022 Nord Stream Blasts (opens The Epoch Times in a new tab)
The Epoch Times — is The Epoch Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Liveblog Ukraine | 6.1 Billion Euros From EU to Ukrainian Defense (opens BNR Nieuwsradio in a new tab)
BNR Nieuwsradio — is BNR Nieuwsradio biased? Our profile of this outlet
- "Never Officially Involved: Selensky Rejects Allegations of the Federal Prosecutor's Office to Nord-Stream-Sprennung (opens Apollo News in a new tab)
Apollo News — is Apollo News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Attack on Pipelines: "Never Officially Involved in Any Operation" – Selensky Rejects Nord-Stream Accusations (opens Welt in a new tab)
- Nord Stream: Zelensky Assures that "Ukraine Has Never Officially Taken Part" in the Sabotage of the Gas Pipeline (opens Le Parisien in a new tab)
Le Parisien — is Le Parisien biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Protest Against Bundesanwaltschaft: Selenskyj Asserts Ukrainian Innocence at Nord-Stream-Sprennung (opens n-tv in a new tab)
- Zelensky Spoke in the Nord Street Case (opens Korrespondent.net in a new tab)
Korrespondent.net — is Korrespondent.net biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Ukraine War: EU Wants to Increase Pressure on Russia (opens Handelsblatt in a new tab)
Handelsblatt — is Handelsblatt biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 9 more
- Zelensky Reiterates that Ukraine Was Not Behind the Nord Stream Attack. (opens Reformatorisch Dagblad in a new tab)
Reformatorisch Dagblad — is Reformatorisch Dagblad biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelenskiy says Ukraine not behind Nord Stream blasts (opens The West Australian in a new tab)
The West Australian — is The West Australian biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelensky says Ukraine not behind Nord Stream blasts, cooperating with probe (opens The Straits Times in a new tab)
The Straits Times — is The Straits Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelenskyy denies Ukraine’s involvement in Nord Stream 2 blasts (opens Anadolu Ajansı in a new tab)
Anadolu Ajansı — is Anadolu Ajansı biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelenski Reiterates that Ukraine Was Not Involved in an Attack on Nord Stream Pipelines (opens La Nación, Grupo Nación in a new tab)
La Nación, Grupo Nación — is La Nación, Grupo Nación biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Officially— never: Zelensky got to the undermining of the Nord Streams: EADaily (opens EADaily in a new tab)
- Zelensky: Ukraine Not Responsible for Explosions at Nord Stream Gas Pipelines (opens Protothema in a new tab)
Protothema — is Protothema biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelenskyy Denies Ukrainian Involvement in Nord Stream Attack (opens berlingske.dk in a new tab)
berlingske.dk — is berlingske.dk biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelenskyy Announces Attack on Nord Stream (opens BT in a new tab)
Not rated
40- The Nord Stream Case Is Starting to Look Like a Parody of a Spy Movie (opens Dagbladet Information in a new tab)
Dagbladet Information — is Dagbladet Information biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Cabinet Remains Silent on Nord Stream Despite German Charges Against Ukrainian (opens nieuwrechts.nl in a new tab)
nieuwrechts.nl — is nieuwrechts.nl biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Selenskyj Contradicts German Investigators on the North Stream Attack (opens JUNGE FREIHEIT in a new tab)
JUNGE FREIHEIT — is JUNGE FREIHEIT biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelenskiy says Ukraine is not involved in Nord Stream blasts (opens military-stuff.org in a new tab)
military-stuff.org — is military-stuff.org biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelenski Again Denies Ukraine's Involvement in North Stream Sabotage. Germany Supports the Opposite (opens Adevarul in a new tab)
- Russia Ukraine War Latest News: Zelensky Denies Ukraine’s Role in Deadly Nord Stream Blasts As Germany Continues Probe (opens The Sunday Guardian Live in a new tab)
The Sunday Guardian Live — is The Sunday Guardian Live biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelenski Says Ukraine Did Not Sabotage the North Stream Pipeline in 2022, According to German Accusations. "Let's Not Lose Our partnership." (opens antena3.ro in a new tab)
antena3.ro — is antena3.ro biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelensky Stated that Ukraine Was Not Involved in the North Flows. (opens tvrain.tv in a new tab)
Show 32 more
- Zelensky: Ukraine Was Not “Officially” Involved in the Nord Stream Explosion (opens https://mandiner.hu/ in a new tab)
https://mandiner.hu/ — is https://mandiner.hu/ biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelensky Strongly Denies Kyiv's Involvement in Blowing up Nord Stream (opens Liner.hu in a new tab)
- Zelensky Denies that the Sabotage of Nord Stream 2 Was a Ukrainian Military Operation (opens RÚV in a new tab)
- "Ukraine Did Not Participate in the Sabotage of the Nord Stream Pipelines," Zelensky Says (opens CNN Greece in a new tab)
CNN Greece — is CNN Greece biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelensky: Ukraina nuk është përgjegjëse për shpërthimet në tubacionet e gazit Nord Stream (opens Bota Sot in a new tab)
- Zelensky Denied Ukraine's Involvement in the Subversion of “Nord Stream” (opens liga.net in a new tab)
- Zelensky Claims Ukraine Was Not “Officially” Involved in the Nord Stream Explosion (opens Heti Világgazdaság in a new tab)
Heti Világgazdaság — is Heti Világgazdaság biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelensky Spoke Out on the Nord Stream Issue: "We Have Nothing to Do with This" (opens Blikk.hu in a new tab)
- Green: Ukraine Was Not Behind the North Flows Bombing. (opens Обозреватель in a new tab)
Обозреватель
- "Germany Knows Perfectly Well What the Truth is." Zelensky on the Nord Stream 2 Bombing (opens Rzeczpospolita in a new tab)
Rzeczpospolita — is Rzeczpospolita biased? Our profile of this outlet
- CARTE. War in Ukraine: Presidential Elections, Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline, Norway's aid... (opens ouest-france.fr in a new tab)
ouest-france.fr — is ouest-france.fr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelensky Reiterates that Ukraine Was Not Involved in an Attack on Gas Pipelines Between Europe and Russia (opens El Comercio in a new tab)
El Comercio — is El Comercio biased? Our profile of this outlet
- President: Ukraine Did Not Officially Take Part in the Nord Stream Blasts (opens LB.ua in a new tab)
- North Stream Sabotage, Denied by Zelenski. Ukrainian President: "I Have Never Officially Participated (opens Stirile Pro TV in a new tab)
Stirile Pro TV — is Stirile Pro TV biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelensky: Ukraine Is Ready to Help in the Investigation of the Case of “Nord Stream” (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- Ukraine Did Not Participate in the Destruction of the Nord Stream Gas Pipelines, According to Zelensky | ČeskéNoviny.cz (opens ceskenoviny.cz in a new tab)
ceskenoviny.cz — is ceskenoviny.cz biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelensky: "Ukraine Has Never Officially Taken Part in Any Operation Related to the Sabotage of Nord Stream" (opens ertnews.gr in a new tab)
ertnews.gr — is ertnews.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelenskyy Denies Ukrainian Involvement in Nord Stream Attack (opens avisendanmark.dk in a new tab)
avisendanmark.dk — is avisendanmark.dk biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelenskyy Denies Ukrainian Involvement in Nord Stream Attack (opens Kristeligt Dagblad in a new tab)
Kristeligt Dagblad — is Kristeligt Dagblad biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Ukraine Has Never Participated in Any Operation Related to the Subversion of Nord Stream 2 (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- Ukraine. Nord Stream: Zelensky Insists His Country Did Not Participate in the Sabotage of the Gas Pipeline (opens lejsl.com in a new tab)
- Ukraine. Nord Stream: Zelensky Insists His Country Did Not Participate in the Sabotage of the Gas Pipeline (opens vosgesmatin.fr in a new tab)
vosgesmatin.fr — is vosgesmatin.fr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Ukraine. Nord Stream: Zelensky Insists His Country Did Not Participate in the Sabotage of the Gas Pipeline (opens estrepublicain.fr in a new tab)
estrepublicain.fr — is estrepublicain.fr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Ukraine. Nord Stream: Zelensky Insists His Country Did Not Participate in the Sabotage of the Gas Pipeline (opens bienpublic.com in a new tab)
bienpublic.com — is bienpublic.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Nord-Stream Attack: Selenskyj Rejects Participation (opens ORF.at News in a new tab)
ORF.at News — is ORF.at News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Ukraine Says It's Not Behind the Explosions in the Nord Stream Pipeline (opens CNN Brasil in a new tab)
CNN Brasil — is CNN Brasil biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelensky repeats Ukraine not involved in Nord Stream attack (opens anews.com.tr in a new tab)
anews.com.tr — is anews.com.tr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Zelensky Denied Ukraine's Involvement in the Subversion of Nord Stream 2 (opens espreso.tv in a new tab)
espreso.tv — is espreso.tv biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Who Blew up the Nord Stream: Zelensky Made a Statement (opens ТСН.ua in a new tab)
- Zelensky: Kyiv did not play role in N. Stream 2 damage (opens BizToc in a new tab)
- “They Know Perfectly Well”: Zelensky Officially Rejected Ukraine's Participation in the Subversion of “Nord Stream” (opens Gazeta.ua in a new tab)
- Zelensky Reiterates that Ukraine Did Not Participate in the Attack on Nord Stream (opens Hospodárske Noviny in a new tab)
Hospodárske Noviny — is Hospodárske Noviny biased? Our profile of this outlet
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