Russian spy chief: West was behind Nord Stream sabotage – Reuters

TBILISI/LONDON, Sept 30 (Reuters) – Russia’s top spy said on Friday Moscow had intelligence indicating the West was behind what he called a “terrorist act” against Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea .

A sharp drop in pressure on both pipelines was recorded on September 26 and seismologists detected explosions, sparking a wave of speculation about who could have sabotaged one of Russia’s most important energy corridors.

The European Union said it suspected the sabotage caused the damage to Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines run by Gazprom (GAZP.MM) in Swedish and Danish waters. The White House has dismissed Russian claims that he was behind the incidents.

“We have documents that indicate a Western trace in the organization and implementation of these terrorist acts,” Sergei Naryshkin, director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), told reporters on state television.

The spy chief’s remarks are the most direct public accusation against the West from a senior Russian official. He did not specify what evidence Russia had, but said the West was trying to conceal the identity of the perpetrator of the attack.

“The West is doing everything to hide the real perpetrators and organizers of this international terrorist act,” Naryshkin said. The SVR is the direct successor to the once-powerful first KGB Chief Directorate of the Soviet era.

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the “unprecedented sabotage” against the Nord Stream gas pipelines was “an act of international terrorism”. Read more

The Kremlin declined to comment on Naryshkin’s remarks, but said there must be a full international investigation into the incidents.

Sweden’s energy minister said on Friday it was “very likely” that the attack on the pipelines was carried out on purpose by a state actor.

Since the ruptures were first detected earlier this week, officials in Moscow have hinted that the West, led by the United States, may be behind the attack. On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Washington stands to gain from the pipeline disruption.

Neither Nord Stream 1 nor 2 were in service when the ruptures were discovered on Monday, but both contained gas. Nord Stream AG, the operator of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, said it expected the gas leak to stop by Monday, but was unable to access the area to assess the damage.

Reuters reporting; edited by Guy Faulconbridge

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