Russia suspects ‘sabotage’ as Crimea gas line damaged

MOSCOW: Russian security services yesterday said they were looking into possible sabotage after finding a damaged gas pipeline in Crimea along with a toppled electrical line support.

After interruptions to the supply, ‘specialists discovered external damage to the gas pipeline’ and an area in south Crimea was left without electricity due to a fallen powerline support, said the country’s National Anti-Terrorist Committee.

“Several versions are being looked at, including sabotage,” the committee said. The Crimea Governor Sergei Aksyonov said several villages were left without a gas supply since Tuesday evening, promising to fix it in one day.

Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in March 2014 to international condemnation. Moscow says Kiev sends spies and saboteurs across the frontier between the peninsula and Ukraine, regularly arresting alleged perpetrators.

In August, security forces detained a man who was allegedly planning to blow up powerlines, publishing images of a partially sawn down wooden power pole.

Ukraine denied sending any spies to Crimea, saying Russia is blaming its infrastructure problems on a convenient scapegoat. Russian agencies yesterday said the crossings between Ukraine and Crimea were not functioning ‘for technical reasons’, citing a source in the FSB security service.

Head of KrymGazSeti, a Crimean gas network, Sergei Tarasov, told TASS news agency that the company has boosted security measures yesterday according to its ‘anti- terrorist counter- sabotage plan’ and has sent guards to monitor its gas lines. — AFP