[oneshtein]

Gasprom fined for $20 billion due to stopping gas flow. IMHO, it's a huge reason to blow the pipe. Pipe is much cheaper to build or repair. Moreover, one of Nord Stream 2 tubes is intact, so RF still can supply gas to EU if Germany will allow NS 2 to work.

[rHqabg]

The WSJ does not agree with your theory. It blames it on Zalushny.

$20 billion is nothing. Europe already froze $300 billion in Russian assets. No one believes this theory outside Ukraine.

[oneshtein]

Zaluzny cannot do that: he is head of Armed Forces of Ukraine, while this is clearly a special operation, think FSB, GRU, GUR, CIA instead of an army. AFU destroys Russian oil and gas infrastructure with drones.

$20 billion is more than enough to pay for few hundreds of such operations or bribe a few millions of investigators or paid articles in reputable journals.