KIEV, May 8 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's top prosecutor said Tuesday a blast that damaged a Russian gas pipeline bound for Europe Monday was caused by negligence rather than terrorism.
The blast and ensuing fire that hit the pipeline Monday evening raised speculation that it could have been a terrorist attack aimed at disrupting the situation in the country, which is already locked in a political crisis.
"This was no terrorist attack ... but negligence by some officials," Svyatoslav Piskun said following a conference on the issue in Kiev, adding that the preliminary investigation had cited loss of pressure in the pipeline and sinking ground as the technical reasons.
Russian energy giant Gazprom [RTS: GAZP], which controls the pipeline, said Monday supplies to Europe had been unaffected and rerouted through a bypass pipeline.
Ukraine's national oil and gas company, Naftogaz, said Tuesday deliveries to domestic clients would be resumed in full by May 9 marked as Victory Day in former Soviet republics. "Repair teams are working round-the-clock at the site to restart gas supplies to consumers by the holiday," the press service said.
The European Commission is assessing the consequences of the blast for Europe. Ferran Tarradellas, spokesman for the European commissioner for energy, said European customers had not complained about any disruptions and quoted the Ukrainian side's assurances that supplies would continue as scheduled.
Another recent accident that occurred in the country was the derailment of a train near Kiev bound from Dnepropetrovsk in eastern Ukraine, which caused no victims. Both accidents prompted President Viktor Yushchenko to demanded the resignation of the transportation and communications minister, Mykola Rudkovskiy.
Yushchenko offered his own explanation for the accidents, saying that "the attention of top ministers was focused on politics rather than organizing the work in their operational sectors."
Before his appointment, Rudkovskiy was a member of parliament from the Socialist Party, which now is part of the pro-government ruling coalition together with the Party of Regions and the Communists. The coalition and the pro-presidential opposition are currently trying to resolve a political dead end triggered by a month-long confrontation.
