Nord Stream leaks ‘acts of terrorism’

THE Kremlin said the incidents this week on two major undersea gas pipelines from Russia to Germany looked like acts of state-sponsored “terrorism”.

The EU is investigating major leaks in the Gazprom-led Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines under the Baltic Sea and said it suspected sabotage.

Russia also launched an “international terrorism” probe.

“This looks like an act of terrorism, possibly on a state level,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.“it is very difficult to imagine that such an act of a terrorism could have happen without the involvement of a state of some kind.”

The US news channel CNN, citing three sources, reported that European security officials had observed Russian navy support ships and submarines not far from the sites of the Nord Stream leaks. Asked for a comment on the CNN report, Peskov said there had been a much larger Nato presence in the area.

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines have been shrouded in political tensions since the Kremlin sent troops to Ukraine.

Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in suspected retaliation against Western sanctions, but the pipelines still contained gas though they were not operational.

A fourth leak was detected in undersea gas pipelines linking Russia to Europe, the Swedish Coast Guard said on Thursday.

Nato declared that the damage was “the result of deliberate, reckless and irresponsible acts of sabotage”.

“These leaks are causing risks to shipping and substantial environmental damage,” the Western military alliance said. |