IT’S A LIE
UK hits back at Russian claim that WE were behind blasts at Nord Stream gas pipelines
RUSSIA has claimed Britain blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which are the major Baltic Sea supply route from Russia to Europe.
The twin pipelines were badly damaged in “powerful explosions” last month. Moscow has repeatedly blamed the West for the blasts, but its latest bid to point the finger at Britain was yesterday dismissed as “a straight lie”.
Rear Admiral Chris Parry, a former senior Royal Navy officer, said: “There’s no capability for the Royal Navy or anybody in the UK offshore industry to blow up those pipelines.”
Turning the heat back on Moscow, he told Sky News: “It’s a straight lie. We all know the Russians did it.
“You always have to be suspicious of what the Russian defence ministry says. It’s hardly the Ministry of Truth.”
Vladimir Putin’s regime has also accused Britain of being involved in a “massive” nine-drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet early on Saturday. His defence ministry claimed the Ukrainian operation was carried out “under the guidance of British specialists”. The attack targeted the Crimean port of Sevastopol and damaged one
warship. Russia responded by suspending its participation in a UN-brokered deal to export agricultural produce – including vital grain supplies – from Ukrainian ports.
Britain has denied both claims. The MoD said: “To detract from their disastrous handling of the illegal invasion, the Russian Ministry of Defence is resorting to peddling false claims on an epic scale.”
Saturday’s drone attack came as Ukrainian troops successfully retook territory occupied by Russia.
Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry said Ukraine had handed over
50 prisoners of war in exchange for 52 of its people. Footage appeared to show the Ukrainian fighters throwing their Russian rations off a bridge as they returned.
The country’s spy chief yesterday claimed that Putin’s position in Russia was becoming increasingly weak.
Maj Gen Kyrylo Budanov said there were “active discussions” going on about how to depose him, and told how pushing Russia back to Ukraine’s 1991 borders would create “a good opportunity to end the war” – as early as next year.
Russia is peddling false claims on an epic scale…
MoD SPOKESMAN ON PUTIN’S ACCUSATIONS