Russia’s defense ministry said on Saturday that the British navy blew up the Nord Stream pipelines in September, a claim London said was false and meant to distract from Russian military failures in Ukraine. “There is evidence that Britain is involved in sabotage … a terrorist act against vital energy infrastructure,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “Such actions cannot be brushed aside. Of course, we will think about further steps. It certainly cannot stay like this,” Peskov said. The Kremlin has provided no evidence to support its claims that Britain was behind the Nord Stream pipeline ruptures, which threatened to put the multibillion-dollar gas link out of service for good. The Kremlin also said no decision had been made to repair the Russian-controlled pipelines. Peskov said the Kremlin is awaiting an expert assessment of the damage and that no decisions have yet been made on the future of Nord Stream 1 or Nord Stream 2. Sweden last week ordered additional investigations into the damage. Authorities in both Sweden and Denmark have concluded that the gas leaks were caused by explosions, but have not said who might be responsible. Report from Reuters. Editing by Kevin Liffey and Mark Trevelyan Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
