Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea as an “act of international terrorism”. According to the Kremlin, Putin spoke of an “unprecedented sabotage” against the gas pipelines from Russia to Germany during a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday. Russia has requested an urgent debate at the UN Security Council for next Friday, Putin said.
Russia’s attorney general’s office on Wednesday opened an international terrorism case over the alleged sabotage of the pipelines. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov has also spoken of an “act of terror” – but Putin himself has not yet made such a clear statement.
Huge amount of explosives
Hundreds of kilograms of explosives were said to have been detonated to destroy the pipelines in the Baltic Sea. A transnational investigation should shed light on the obvious sabotage. Three of the four leaks discovered in the pipes are located within a few kilometers of each other, according to Sweden.
A possible mastermind has not yet been mentioned. The Kremlin had described accusations from Ukraine, among others, as “absurd” that Russia was destroying its own infrastructure to exacerbate Europe’s energy crisis and cause panic in the West before the winter. For days, the Kremlin has denied any responsibility for the damage to the currently unused pipelines. Russia had asked to be involved in the investigation.
Source: Krone
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