Britain has denied Russian claims that Royal Navy personnel blew up the Nord Stream fuel pipelines final month, saying the story is “invented”.
A Ministry of Defence tweet stated: “To detract from their disastrous dealing with of the unlawful invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defence is resorting to peddling false claims of an epic scale.
“This invented story says more about arguments going on inside the Russian government than it does about the West.”
The 760-mile pipelines run from Russia to Germany, by way of the Baltic Sea, at a depth as little as 110 metres.
They had been a very powerful provide route for Russian fuel provides to Europe, with a joint annual capability of 110 billion cubic metres – greater than half of Russia’s regular fuel export quantity.
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But Russia reduce off provide by way of Nord Stream 1 on the finish of August, and Nord Stream 2 by no means entered service, as Germany paused its certification course of shortly earlier than Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
On 26 September, the pipelines registered a pointy drop in stress and seismologists detected explosions earlier than 4 leaks had been recorded.
Russia stated on Saturday: “According to available information, representatives of this unit of the British Navy took part in the planning, provision and implementation of a terrorist attack in the Baltic Sea on 26 September this year – blowing up the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.”
It didn’t share any proof to again up its claims.
Russia was initially blamed for sabotaging the pipelines as a part of its efforts to deprive Europe of power, however it dismissed these claims as “stupid”, as a substitute blaming the US.
The US destroyed the pipelines, so it may promote extra liquefied pure fuel to Europe, Russia stated – a declare denied by the US.
Sweden and Denmark concluded the leaks had been attributable to explosions, however didn’t say who may be accountable.
Swedish prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist known as on Friday for a “supplementary crime scene investigation” on the website, including: “It is important both for the preliminary investigation and for the various collaborations we have that we now get to work in peace and quiet.”
Read extra:
What we all know concerning the Nord Stream fuel leaks and who was behind them
Fourth leak revealed on Nord Stream pipelines as Russia denies sabotage
Meanwhile, Russia has additionally claimed “British specialists” directed Ukrainian drone strikes on ships within the Black Sea Fleet within the Crimean metropolis of Sevastopol early on Saturday.
Russia’s defence ministry stated: “Nine unmanned aerial vehicles and seven autonomous marine drones were involved in the attack.
“The preparation of this terrorist act and the coaching of servicemen of the Ukrainian 73rd Special Center for Naval Operations had been carried out below the steering of British specialists situated within the city of Ochakiv.”
Source: information.sky.com”