[SmokingJoe]

Someone posted an article here the other day that argued that the pipeline explosions were due to Russian maintenance failures (incompetence on the part of the Russians).

Nonsense!
The Russians have been operating and maintaining the Nordstream Pipeline for decades, without an such explosion ever occurring.
Why would it occuer now?

It made sense

No it doesn't.

[Sacajaweau]

Gas first flowed through Nord I in the fall of 2011.

[JohnBovenmyer]

If you follow through the links the bad Russian maintenance theory originated here. It DOES provide plausible answers to the concerns expressed in this thread about it. The same political and maintenance culture that brought the world Chernobyl (and many others 'Oops' moments) and brought the vast Russian Army rapid victory over little Ukraine... Its ability to scr*w things up should be no less underestimated than Joe Biden's.

As to why it happened now when the first pipeline had previously run fine, he points out that both pipelines were shut down, but kept full of gas, since the invasion. Due to all the squabbling over sanctions, etc. Having an undersea pipeline, full of methane, but not flowing is NOT their standard operating condition and is a known risk for the events he proposes. Several folks point out the oddity of explosions in two separate but nearby pipelines. He points out the explosions were 17 hours apart, which imply foolish planning had then been externally triggered sabotage. The 17 hours later explosion in the same area of the same busy sea lane would be at high risk for being witnessed. Biden probably wouldn't know any better, but those pulling his strings are alas more competent than that. Whereas poor quality Russian maintenance, along the lines he suggests, could have been simultaneously working the same kind of problem in both pipelines and gotten the same bad result twice 17 hours apart. From what we've seen of Russian command and control, the team on the second to blow pipeline might not even have been warned the first blew 17 hours earlier.

The theory is not proof, but it deserves consideration. I'm not sure what kind of evidence could be found to differentiate between it and other scenarios, but the waters concerned are shallow enough that Denmark and Sweden should be able to gather and interpret whatever clues exist. If possible get the folks that raised the Kursk (Danes IIRC) involved as residual Russian good will and long Russian memories might trust them further.

And the theory avoids the problems of non-obvious motives for any of the alleged saboteurs. Both Russian and the Europeans would seem to want the pipelines flowing again as soon as diplomacy can allow. Stopping flow until then is easily done by closing the valves at either side's end. I'd assume US was technically capable of blowing the lines, but why would they want to. Sure Biden implied it, but who in power on his team listens to him? Team Biden's record, not to mention Joe's own, has a risk adverse track record which wouldn't pull such a trigger.