Russia says Nord Stream was likely hit by state-backed 'terrorism'.
"It is very difficult to imagine that such an act of terrorism could have happened without the involvement of some kind of state," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
(Reuters)- Russia said on Thursday that gas leaks in the Baltic Sea from pipelines to Germany had occurred. appear to be the result of "terrorism"."State-sponsored," as an EU official said the incident fundamentally changed the nature of the conflict in Ukraine.
The European Union is investigating the cause of the leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines operated by Gazprom (GAZP.MM) and has said it suspects sabotage is behind the damage on the coasts of Denmark and Sweden.
Four days after the leaks were first detected, it is still unclear who might be behind any attack on the oil pipelines that Russia and its European partners have spent billions of dollars building.
"This looks like an act of terrorism, possibly at the state level," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, adding: "It is very difficult to imagine that such an act of terrorism could have happened without the involvement of some kind of state."
Russia also said the United States would benefit, in a war of words with the West over who was responsible. Moscow had previously said the leaks occurred in territory that is "fully under the control" of US intelligence agencies.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a press conference that Washington could increase its sales of liquefied natural gas (LNG) if the pipelines were shut down.
But the US news channel CNN, citing three sources, reported that European security officials observed Russian naval support ships and submarines not far from the oil spills.
Asked to comment on the CNN report, Peskov said there was a much larger NATO presence in the area.
Zakharova called for an "objective" EU investigation and said Washington would have to "explain itself" - a reference to President Joe Biden's comment in February that if Russia invades Ukraine, "there will be no more Nord Stream 2".
The White House rejected Russian claims that it was responsible for the damage to Nord Stream, and Biden's comments referred to efforts at the time to secure certification to put Nord Stream 2 into commercial use.
Leaks from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline are likely to stop on Monday, the pipeline operator told Reuters.
But a spokesman for Nord Stream AG said it was not possible to give any forecast for the future operation of the pipeline until the damage was assessed.
Russia has halted deliveries via Nord Stream 1, saying Western sanctions have hampered operations.
Although neither pipeline was supplying gas to Europe when the leaks were first detected, both contained gas.
'ROBUST RESPONSE'
EU leaders will discuss the ramifications of the damage next week at a summit in Prague, an EU official said.
"Strategic infrastructure across the EU needs to be protected," said the EU official in Brussels.
"This fundamentally changes the nature of the conflict as we have seen it so far, as well as the mobilization... and the possible annexation," said the EU official, referring to Russia's mobilization of more troops for the war and President Vladimir Putin's expectations of annexing Ukrainian regions.
Russia's war with Ukraine and the resulting energy confrontation between Moscow and Europe, which has left the EU struggling to find alternative gas supplies, are expected to dominate the EU summit on October 7.
The European Union warned on Wednesday of a "robust and united response" should there be further attacks and stressed the need to protect its energy infrastructure, but EU officials avoided directly pointing to possible perpetrators.
Next week, EU leaders will discuss an eighth package of sanctions against Russia proposed by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, including stricter trade restrictions, more blacklists, and a price cap on oil for third countries.
The EU official said he expected the 27-nation bloc to agree on parts of the sanctions package before the summit, such as the blacklisting of additional individuals and some of the trade restrictions related to steel and technology.
Other issues, such as the oil price ceiling or sanctions against banks, may not be resolved before the summit, he added.
EU states need unanimity to impose sanctions, and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been a vehement critic, saying the sanctions "backfired," raising energy prices and dealing a blow to European economies.
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