While Putin has been caught at staging geopolitical events, this is not proof that he staged this one.

From my understanding--and this seems to confirmed by this article, the explosion of the pipeline came from an external source.

Pipeline pigs are mechanical devices used to clean pipelines and take internal measurements. Pigs are inserted into one end of the pipeline, they are moved to the other end with pressure. A pig could have easily been converted into a bomb for an internal explosion at any point in the pipeline. It seems silly that the Russians would engineer an external explosion when they had the opportunity for a much easier internal explosion. Unless they wanted to ensure that the explosion looked like someone one else had done it. Who knows?

Some conspiracy theorists around the US explosion somehow believe the pipeline was a profit-induced excuse for the USA to sell its natural gas to Europe. The theorists do not mention that any such natural gas distribution channel will take at least five years to build. So a profit motive seems specious.

And this bring back the profit for Russia. Why would Russia cut off an important source of cash flow? Why would Russian cut off an economic threat to western Europe? Good questions--and Russia is not exactly rational these days.

Methinks this will be another historical event that will not find the smoking gun.