Putin on alleged involvement of Ukrainian activists in Nord Stream case: 'Complete nonsense'

Sputnik - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (14) rejected allegations about the supposed involvement of Ukrainian activists in the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions in September 2022, calling them "complete nonsense".

 "I'm sure that's complete nonsense," Putin said during an interview with Russian media.

 Previously, a US newspaper suggested that some pro-Ukrainian group may have carried out the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline and that Kyiv may not have been aware of this group's plans.

 The Russian leader, however, pointed out that only state-backed experts possessing "certain technologies" could carry out the work in waters deep enough to create explosions powerful enough to destroy the gas pipelines.

 Since the explosions occurred, Moscow has been trying to persuade other European states, directly involved or interested in the incident, to conduct investigations that can clarify once and for all what happened and who is behind the explosions, which the Kremlin has classified as a "terrorist attack".

 "It is very difficult for us to conduct our own investigation if we are not allowed to enter the site of this terrorist attack. The fact that it was a terrorist attack is no longer a secret to anyone. In my opinion, everyone has already recognized this. Furthermore, the terrorist attack was clearly committed at the state level because no amateur could commit such actions," Putin said.

 According to the Kremlin, the need for a more comprehensive investigation would be crucial to strengthening European security. Earlier, Russia's First Deputy Representative to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyansky, said that Russia had distributed to the UN a copy of correspondence with countries investigating the terrorist attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, and that the documents indicate that they did not sufficiently inform the Russian side about the matter.

 "Apparently, several explosive devices were planted in Nord Stream, some of which exploded, but others did not," the president stated.

 Earlier on Tuesday, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden refused to cooperate with the Russian Prosecutor General's office and the Federal Security Service in the investigation of the gas pipeline explosions, according to a letter sent by the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzya, to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

 "First of all, the Danish, German, and Swedish authorities refused to provide legal assistance requested by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation and the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation," Nebenzya wrote in the letter.

 According to the letter, Denmark and Sweden justified their refusal by arguing that "'carrying out requests from the Russian Federation could jeopardize the security' of these states. Germany stated that it could imply 'possible bias against the interests' of its country."