SOCHI, November 1. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday said it is nonsensical to accuse Russia of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines.
"Someone worked up the nerve to think that Russia blew them up. It’s hard to imagine that kind of nonsense, that someone could think of that. But they do come up with all kinds of absurdity," the president said when fielding questions from reporters.
He pointed at a different kind of reaction as well.
"As is almost always the case, the Europeans keep their mouths shut and remain silent, acting as if this is how it was supposed to be, although this clearly undermines their interests," Putin added.
Four leaks were discovered in late September on the Nord Stream gas link, with the most recent one pinpointed by Sweden’s coast guard. On September 27, operator Nord Stream AG reported that three lines of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 offshore gas pipelines had suffered unprecedented damage. The first leak was identified on Nord Stream 2 near the Danish Island of Bornholm. Then two leaks were recorded at Nord Stream. Swedish seismologists later reported that two explosions had been recorded along the Nord Stream pipelines on the previous day. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the incidents were sabotage.
Nord Stream was one of the main gas delivery routes from Russia to Europe. Its operation has been suspended since the end of August due to problems with repairs of Siemens turbines stemming from Western sanctions. Nord Stream 2 was completed in 2021 but never put into operation.