Russia says British navy personnel blew up Nord Stream gas pipelines - Reuters

Oct 29 (Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry said connected Saturday that British navy unit blew up the Nord Stream state pipelines past month, straight accusing a starring NATO subordinate of sabotaging captious Russian infrastructure.

The defence ministry did not springiness grounds for its claim. It said that "British specialists" from the aforesaid portion directed Ukrainian drone attacks connected ships of Russian Black Sea fleet successful Crimea earlier connected Saturday that it said were mostly repelled by Russian forces, with insignificant harm to a Russian minesweeper.

"According to disposable information, representatives of this portion of the British Navy took portion successful the planning, proviso and implementation of a violent onslaught successful the Baltic Sea connected September 26 this twelvemonth - blowing up the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 state pipelines," the ministry said.

Britain's defence ministry declined contiguous remark erstwhile asked by Reuters astir the Russian claim.

A crisp driblet successful unit connected some pipelines was registered connected Sept. 26 and seismologists detected explosions, triggering a question of speculation astir sabotage to 1 of Russia's astir important vigor corridors.

Reuters has not been capable to verify immoderate of the conflicting claims astir who was to blasted for the damage.

Russia has antecedently blamed the West for the explosions that ruptured the Russian-built Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines connected the furniture of the Baltic Sea.

But Russia had not antecedently fixed circumstantial details of who it thinks was liable for the harm to the pipelines, antecedently the largest routes for Russian state supplies to Europe.

PIPELINE MYSTERY

Sweden and Denmark person some concluded that 4 leaks connected Nord Stream 1 and 2 were caused by explosions, but person not said who mightiness beryllium responsible. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has called the harm an enactment of sabotage.

Sweden has ordered additional investigations to beryllium carried retired into the harm done to the pipelines, the authoritative successful complaint of the lawsuit said successful a connection connected Friday.

The Kremlin has repeatedly said allegations of Russian work for the harm were "stupid" and Russian officials person said Washington had a motive arsenic it wants to merchantability much liquefied earthy state (LNG) to Europe.

The United States has denied involvement.

The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines person a associated yearly capableness of 110 cardinal cubic metres - much than fractional of Russia's mean state exports volumes.

Sections of the 1,224-km (760-mile) agelong pipelines, which tally from Russia to Germany, prevarication astatine a extent of astir 80-110 metres.

Russia said Ukrainian forces attacked ships from the Black Sea Fleet successful Sevastopol, the biggest metropolis successful Russian-annexed Crimea, successful the aboriginal hours of Saturday.

"Nine unmanned aerial vehicles and 7 autonomous marine drones were progressive successful the attack," the defence ministry said.

"The mentation of this violent enactment and the grooming of servicemen of the Ukrainian 73rd Special Center for Naval Operations were carried retired nether the guidance of British specialists located successful the municipality of Ochakiv."

All the aerial drones were destroyed though insignificant harm was done to the minesweeper Ivan Golubets. Sevastopol is the office of Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

Reporting by Reuters Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Frances Kerry

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.