(That was a most excellent post.)
If the US Navy did it and the western Baltic is an aquarium then all the NATO countries and Sweden and Finland knew about it. And Russia surely has ship monitoring sensors too. So Russia probably knows about it.
And no one is talking about it. Thus it was planned and agreed to by all NATO/Sweden/Finland.
Russia was precluded from putting any sensors or observation patrol boats over the pipeline, BY NATO.
PLEASE read this article from April 2021.
As a long-ago frogman who has locked out of submerged submarines, ridden in mini-subs, diving with air, mixed-gas and pure oxygen (no bubbles), and practiced all kinds of underwater demolition, this article rings 100% true.
It was >> NATO << that disallowed the Russians, or anybody, from putting ANY sensors or surveillance on the NS1 and 2 pipelines. Please read it all.
“Nord Stream 2 requires military protection”
Please read it, and then you will know more about the Nordstream 1 & 2 pipeline sabotage than 99.9% of people. But if you don’t want to read it all, here’s an excerpt:
There is a solution
Thus, our opponents have already clearly demonstrated their willingness to harm the project, and the security of Nord Stream (both) cannot be left to chance. The risk of sabotage against Nord Stream 2 using uninhabited [unmanned, poor translation] underwater vehicles at least does not look zero. What should Russia do in such a situation?
It would be worth creating a pipeline defense system. And not only the second line of the Nord Stream, but also the first - the interruption of any of them is fraught with the same problems for Russia.
The basis for such a system should be hydroacoustic equipment that allows detecting the use of UUVs. This equipment could be placed on surface ships, which could patrol the waters, at the bottom of which the pipeline lies. As a means of rapid response, one can consider a helicopter with a special unit on board, capable of quickly advancing to the area of the proposed operation of the NPA and detecting a vessel or carrier ship from the air.
It is hardly possible in this case to create a system that can prevent an attack in all cases. But it is quite possible to create a system for guaranteed interception of UUV carriers. This will create a reality for our adversaries in which they may be able to damage the pipeline, but absolutely cannot escape. And the operation against the Russian gas pipeline will certainly not be a secret. And this will make the operation technically possible, but politically impossible.
[NATO VETOED PUTTING ANY SENSORS/SURVEILLANCE ON THE PIPELINES. WHY?]
Please read it all.