Global Provocations Similar to Nord Stream Blasts Not Ruled Out - Putin

NOVO-OGARYOVO, Moscow Region (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the possibility of external risks similar to explosions of the Nord Stream pipelines can not be ruled out.

"We remember what happened with Nord Stream. We should not rule out provocations like the one when they recently tried to blame Russia for damaging the gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia," Putin said at a government meeting on economic issues.

In September 2022, the Nord Stream gas pipelines, running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to the EU, suffered unprecedented damage from explosions. Nord Stream AG, the operator, declared the repair timeline uncertain. Following the exclusion of Russia from the investigations led by Denmark, Germany and Sweden, Moscow initiated its own probe, labelling the attacks as international terrorism.

Although investigation outcomes remain undisclosed, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh implicated US involvement in the incident; however, Washington has denied any and all claims that it played a role in the attack.

On October 11, Finnish police spokesman Mikko Simola reported finding external traces on the seabed near the damaged Balticconnector pipeline. The Central Finland Police Department, in collaboration with Estonian colleagues, is investigating. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur mentioned photographic and video evidence indicating the pipeline had been forcibly displaced, possibly by an anchor.

On October 20, Finland's Foreign Minister contacted China and Russia regarding the Balticconnector incident, highlighting the severity of the situation and ongoing probe.