Originally Posted by Slope77
I agree that it makes no sense for Russia to do it when they can just turn it off.

There would be diplomatic hell for the US to pay if it was done without permission from the German government. Going solo on this would be very risky.

The German government will have political hell to pay with its citizens if they find out their government did something to Jack the price of energy even further. Good way to get your political party ostracized if the people find out.

So, who else would be motivated to do?

Well I bolded two reasons for the Russiabs to do it in your post above.

I don't have any idea who actually did it, and it's ridiculous to think we can ever know given what little real information we really get (except the super-top-secret blurry Q stuff).