Russia asserts that the British navy sabotaged the pipelines, while the British Ministry of Defense asserts that these assertions are only an attempt to divert attention from Russia’s “catastrophic management of the illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
The United Kingdom has refuted Russian claims that Royal Navy sailors detonated the Nord Stream gas pipes last month, stating that the narrative is “fabricated.”
According to a Ministry of Defense tweet, “To divert from its poor management of the illegitimate invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense is promoting bogus allegations of epic proportions.
This fabricated story reveals more about disagreements within the Russian Kremlin than about the West.
The pipes extend from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea at a maximum depth of 110 meters.
With a combined yearly capacity of 110 billion cubic meters – more than half of Russia’s typical gas export volume – they were the most important supply route for Russian gas deliveries to Europe.
However, Russia shut off supply via Nord Stream 1 at the end of August, and Nord Stream 2 never entered service since Germany halted its certification process just before Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
On September 26, the pipes experienced a rapid loss in pressure, and seismologists observed explosions before the detection of four leaks.
Russia stated on Saturday, “According to available information, representatives of this British Navy unit were involved in the planning, provisioning, and execution of a terrorist attack in the Baltic Sea on September 26 of this year, which involved the explosion of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.”
It provided no proof to support its assertions.
Initially, Russia was accused of damaging the pipelines as part of its plan to deny Europe of energy, but it dismissed these accusations as “dumb” and instead blamed the United States.
Russia asserts that the United States damaged the pipelines so that it could sell more liquefied natural gas to Europe, a charge that the United States denies.
Sweden and Denmark decided that the leaks were caused by explosions, but did not indicate who may be at fault.
Friday, Swedish prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist requested a “supplementary crime scene examination” at the site, adding, “It is crucial for both the preliminary inquiry and the different cooperation that we now have peace to work.”
Russia has also asserted that “British specialists” supervised early Saturday Ukrainian drone strikes against ships of the Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean city of Sevastopol.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense stated: “The attack featured nine unmanned aircraft vehicles and seven autonomous marine drones.
“British experts based in the city of Ochakiv supervised the planning of this terrorist act and the training of Ukrainian 73rd Special Center for Naval Operations personnel.”
