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Russia hopes for objective international investigation into Nord Stream emergency — MFA

Maria Zakharova stated that European countries refuse to even consider that their allies could have been behind the sabotage at the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines

MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. Russia would like to believe that an international investigation into the sabotage of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines will be objective, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Thursday.

"We would very much like to believe that the international investigation of what happened to the gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea will be objective," she said.

The diplomat stated that European countries refuse to even consider that their allies could have been behind the sabotage at the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines.

According to her, instead, the EU is painting "a picture of direct and indirect Russian involvement."

Zakharova reiterated that Russia has been a reliable supplier of energy resources to Europe for decades.

"And who decided to destroy the supply of Russian energy resources, even the very possibility of these supplies reaching Europeans? From the very beginning of the Nord Stream 2 project, all its participants, both from Russia and from third-party countries, have been subjected to unprecedented economic and political pressure from Washington," she reminded.

Four Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks have been uncovered, with the most recent one being pinpointed by Sweden’s coast guard.

Earlier, the Nord Stream AG company reported that three threads of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 offshore gas pipelines had suffered unprecedented damage on Monday. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow was "deeply concerned about the news" and did not rule out that the pipelines’ operation could have been disrupted by an act of sabotage. Swedish seismologists later reported that two explosions had been recorded along the Nord Stream pipelines on Monday.

The UN Security Council will discuss the situation with the pipelines at a meeting on September 30 convened at Russia’s request. The Danish Energy Agency reported that a large amount of gas had spilled into the sea. Aircraft and ships are barred from approaching the site any closer than five nautical miles.