“Yeah, the Russians were going to blow up their own pipeline and the huge amounts of revenues it provided to them./SARCASM”
While I agree that it is unlikely for the Russians to have done this it also had benefits for the Russians if they did.
1. First and foremost the Russians no longer needed to make payments on the projects especially if they were destroyed in an act of war.
2. Russia was not making any money from the pipelines due to sanctions and bank freezes. Any revenue they did make was/is being held in escrow in Western banks and is out of their reach.
3. It is a propaganda victory within Russia to show an enemy attacking them.
The United States took it out and, like the Sanctions, it ended up helping Russia. It backfired on stupid ass Biden and his Globalist handlers.
It was not in Russia’s interest to blow up the pipelines. Putin may have decided that it was in his best interest. No pipelines means no pipeline revenue should Putin fall to his death up a flight of stairs, or accidentally inject himself with a fatal dose of succinylcholine. The longer it takes to return to the prewar status quo, with Russian Oligarchs back in their London mansions and Mediterranean yachts, the worse the risk-benefit ratio for said Oligarchs considering an attempt on Putin.
You seem to forget that blowing up the line placed Europe at a huge disadvantage during the cold winter months. Without energy, Ukraine would not be able to repel Russia as vigorously as they did.
The pipeline was of great value to both Russia, EU and Ukraine. When tourist hotels cannot heat their rooms (as happened in the Netherlands), you know that the country is in trouble. When they contemplate restarting their nuke plants and opening their coal mines you know that the pipeline was of significant value to Europe.
You seem to forget that blowing up the line placed Europe at a huge disadvantage during the cold winter months. Without energy, Ukraine would not be able to repel Russia as vigorously as they did.
The pipeline was of great value to both Russia, EU and Ukraine. When tourist hotels cannot heat their rooms (as happened in the Netherlands), you know that the country is in trouble. When they contemplate restarting their nuke plants and opening their coal mines you know that the pipeline was of significant value to Europe.