The British navy blew out the Nord Stream gas pipelines last month, according to the Russian defence ministry, a claim that London dismissed as untrue and an attempt to deflect attention from Russian military missteps in Ukraine.
In the midst of the biggest crisis in Western-Russian relations since the height of the Cold War, Russia did not provide evidence to support its assertion that a major NATO member had damaged crucial Russian infrastructure.
A Russian minesweeper suffered minor damage, according to the Russian ministry, after “British professionals” from the same unit allegedly directed Ukrainian drone assaults on Russian Black Sea Fleet ships in Crimea earlier on Saturday.
The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines were blown up on September 26, according to the ministry. “According to information available, representatives of this unit of the British Navy took part in the planning, provision, and implementation of a terrorist attack in the Baltic Sea,” it said.
Britain refuted the assertion.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has resorted to making epic-scale false claims, according to the British Ministry of Defence, in an effort to distract from their appalling management of the unlawful invasion of Ukraine.
This made-up narrative reveals more about internal conflicts in the Russian administration than it does about the West.
Asserting on social media that “a series of terrorist attacks committed against the Russian Federation in the Black and Baltic Seas, including the involvement of Britain in them,” Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, said Moscow will seek the U.N. Security Council’s reaction.
Since its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Russia has been severely ostracised by Western countries. Previously, Russia has blamed the West for the explosions that broke the Russian-built Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines on the bottom of the Baltic Sea.
However, it had not previously provided detailed information regarding who it believes to be accountable for the damage to the pipelines, which were formerly the main conduits for Russian gas shipments to Europe.
On September 26, seismologists recorded explosions and a rapid reduction in pressure on both pipelines, which raised concerns about possible sabotage of one of Russia’s most vital energy routes.
None of the competing statements regarding who was responsible for the damage could quickly be verified by Reuters.
PIPELINE SUSPICION
Despite coming to the same conclusion that four breaches on Nord Stream 1 and 2 were caused by explosions, Sweden and Denmark have not identified any potential suspects. Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general of NATO, described the damage as a sabotage attempt.
The prosecutor in charge of the case said in a statement on Friday that Sweden has ordered more investigations to be conducted into the damage done to the pipes.
Russian officials have stated Washington had a motive because it wants to sell more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe, and the Kremlin has repeatedly called accusations that Russia was to blame for the damage “dumb.”
The US has denied any involvement.
The combined yearly capacity of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines is 110 billion cubic meters or more than half of Russia’s typical gas export volumes.
Sections of the 1,224-km (760-mile) long pipelines, which connect Germany to Russia, are submerged 80 to 110 meters below the surface.
BLACK SEA FLEET
In the meantime, Russia claimed that early on Saturday, Ukrainian soldiers targeted Black Sea Fleet ships in Sevastopol, the largest city in Russian-annexed Crimea.
The attack featured nine unmanned aerial vehicles and seven autonomous maritime drones, according to the defence ministry.
Under the supervision of British experts based in the town of Ochakiv, this terrorist act’s planning and the training of Ukrainian service members from the 73rd Special Center for Naval Operations were carried out.
The minesweeper Ivan Golubets suffered very minor damage, according to the government, but all the air drones were destroyed. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is headquartered in Sevastopol.
