Statement by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman
Maria Zakharova on the Nord Stream attacks
Official Claims: Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, asserts that the complexity of the Nord Stream attacks indicates state involvement rather than the actions of non-state actors. This new data is cross-referenced with statements by the Swedish investigator Mats Ljungquist who mentioned that Russia, USA and pro Ukrainian non-state actors were excluded from several rounds as suspects, he also mentioned the behind was a single state actor with significant resources and knowledge.
Company Involvement: The British firm Optima Defence and Security Group Ltd., linked to the British Ministry of Defence, was involved in deep-sea research near the explosion sites prior to the attacks.
Allegations of Terrorism: Russia contends that this evidence supports claims of Western states' participation in international terrorism.
Hypocrisy of the West: The refusal of Western powers to officially label the incident as terrorism is characterized as hypocritical by Russian officials.
Commitment to Accountability: Russia has stated its intention to pursue those responsible for the attacks actively.
Legal Significance: The author notes the importance of the legal interpretation of the event, underlining its broader implications.
26 Nov 2024 - Press Secretary of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova
🇩🇪 It is obviously in the interest of the vast majority of Germans to put the remaining section of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline into operation. Why is there no investigation into what led to a significant collapse in the German economy - namely the terrorist attack on Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2? Why is Germany not receiving Russian resources? Many Germans are asking themselves these questions. Their MPs and prominent figures are also talking about them.
💬 Russia is demanding - also in the UN Security Council - an international investigation into this terrorist attack and the punishment of the perpetrators. The German side, however, is persistently avoiding the issue. Regular statements by the German government that it wants to find those responsible and bring them to justice after more than two years have remained empty words.
💬 Regarding the restart of the remaining pipeline, the Russian side has repeatedly stated that it would be technically possible to resume deliveries – provided that Germany would express such a wish.
As time goes by, it becomes increasingly clear that a single or even multiple non-state actors would simply not have been able to carry out acts of sabotage and attacks of this magnitude, let alone private individuals posing as "Ukrainian divers". Such a complicated operation, involving diving to considerable depths and the use of military-grade explosives, would require significant resources and specific equipment that only sovereign states can possess, and which are also likely to have access to the technical documentation of the Nord Stream pipelines.
[MRT: The statement that it was a: single state actor in all cases, that it had significant resources was confirmed by mats Ljungquist in SWE investigation statements to public here. Note that he also singled out Russia, USA and pro-Ukrainian groups.]
[MRT: Note that Dutch, USA and Russian assets were checking the area in early September:
This British "shop" was one of the contractors of the British Ministry of Defense, the Navy and the Royal Marines and was led by former high-ranking British army officers. Its employees have gained rich experience in many conflict zones in Africa or the Middle East.
[MRT: What is the chance that Germany knew some details about the planned mission? -German fleet tracker wk37 and wk38 in Baltic sea]
The mentioned facts are considered further evidence of the involvement of Western states in the explosions of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, i.e. in the act of international terrorism.
💬 We do not comment on the speculation in the German media that Ukrainian citizens may have been involved in the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines. It is unclear whether this is an objective depiction of reality or a fiction that has a specific purpose. The only thing that is certain is that there was a terrorist attack on September 26, 2022. The media reports are obviously aimed at distracting the public from the true background of the attack. Why? It makes sense to assume that someone has something to hide, because Germany has suffered great material damage.
[MRT: Note that There are no Ukrainian Andromeda fugitives suspected of Nordstream blasts on Interpol and Europol Wanted lists]
💬 We will of course continue to press for the German side to present at least some preliminary investigation results. Everyone agrees that this was an unprecedented terrorist attack against a critical international infrastructure object. But after almost two years of investigations, they have not made any significant contribution to clarifying the background. The documents presented by the German side clarify absolutely nothing. We hope that we can get a reliable answer at some point.💬 A large part of the German population does not agree with the mainstream. The basic aims of the parties that represent protest positions, including the resumption of dialogue with Russia and the cessation of arms deliveries to Ukraine, are met with some approval by German citizens. In general, there is a certain weariness in Germany in connection with this conflict and the attitude of doing everything possible to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia.💬 Germany is the largest EU supporter of Ukraine in terms of arms deliveries and financial aid. The list of weapons and equipment delivered to Ukraine is very extensive. Berlin has set itself the task of preventing a defeat of the regime in Kiev. What's more, some German politicians believe that a war with Russia is unavoidable.💬 We have indeed heard that Chancellor Olaf Scholz has spoken of a peace plan. But we have not seen it on paper. If it is a question of continuing the so-called "peace conference" based on Zelensky's "peace formula", then we absolutely cannot accept it and will not get involved in it. In addition, a difficult dilemma arises in this context: how can the ongoing arms deliveries to Kiev be reconciled with the mediation offer?💬 The stationing of American medium-range missiles in Germany will of course lead to escalation. This is a dangerous and counterproductive step that essentially does not contribute in any way to increasing the security of Germany, which is already sufficiently equipped with American weapons and US bases. Furthermore, US tactical nuclear weapons are also stationed here in Germany. Is this new element in the form of US medium-range missiles really necessary?
💬 Two years ago today the Nord Stream attacks took place.💬 The investigations by Germany, Denmark and Switzerland have not produced any concrete results. Our country was not allowed to access the information needed to investigate the case, the process was dragged out as much as possible with the aim of covering up the evidence. The details have still not been revealed. Almost all of Russia's requests have been rejected.💬 There is no trust in such investigations.💬 Germany was hit hardest, its economy slipped into recession, GDP fell, production patterns were disrupted, industrial production shrank, the number of bankruptcies reached record highs in the last ten years. Gas became 84% more expensive for German citizens than before.💬 I am convinced that the masterminds and perpetrators of the Nord Stream sabotage must be held accountable.💬 There is no statute of limitations here.
25 Sept 2024 - Comment by Russia's Ambassador Sergei Nechayev
💬 It has been exactly two years since the unprecedented terrorist attack on the largest objects of European energy infrastructure, the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. This caused colossal environmental damage, caused huge losses to investors and destroyed the energy relations between Russia and Germany, which for several decades had been exemplary of mutually beneficial cooperation. It is obvious that the extremely dangerous precedent created by the sabotage attack on critical infrastructure must not remain without consequences.
💬 What we are observing, however, is that time is moving on and those responsible have still not been named. The Western judiciary, which is usually so quick to draw conclusions, remains silent. No one is demanding swift investigations. There are no official details of the progress or results of the investigation. Denmark and Sweden have withdrawn from the case. The German government is still keeping quiet, referring to the jurisdiction of the Federal Prosecutor's Office. The latter has not commented on the matter.
💬 Our numerous inquiries through diplomatic channels, requests for legal assistance and appeals within the framework of international organizations, including the UN Security Council, remain unanswered. In meaningless letters we are advised to continue waiting in the belief that an "unbiased and independent" investigation will be carried out. At the same time, absurd speculations are being launched in the media, the obvious aim of which is to divert public attention from the real perpetrators and culprits.
💬 All this raises legitimate concerns about the objectivity and impartiality of the investigation and casts doubt on the sincerity of the assurances that Berlin is interested in identifying and punishing the guilty. Our country will continue to advocate for a transparent international investigation, in which Russian specialists will also be involved. It is time to understand: we will not allow this case to be shelved or a scapegoat to be chosen.
🗣 When we talk about the need to ensure the security of critical energy infrastructure, we cannot ignore the “spectacle” that is taking place in connection with the terrorist attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines organized two years ago.🗣 We have sent numerous international requests for legal assistance to Germany. They must be answered. But none of them have been answered. We have also received no response from Denmark and Sweden, to whom we have also sent official documents. They have also stated that the national investigations have been discontinued.🗣 The investigations that are currently underway in Germany are completely non-transparent. Some time ago, the European press, including the German press, reported how this attack was supposed to have been organized: five people were sitting together, drinking and joking and suddenly decided: "Let's blow up the Nord Streams!" They had diving skills and rented a boat. They used this boat to go to the place where the Nord Streams are, went down, planted explosives and blew up the Nord Streams. If anyone can believe this version, it is only those who are afraid of the truth and want to justify the criminal regime in Kiev by any means possible.🗣 We will not let up on this issue. We will continue to push for a transparent investigation, which is being blocked in every possible way by the US, the UK and their allies.
🗣 Unfortunately, the German authorities have not commented on this issue in any way. They have been conducting investigations for two years now. Sweden and Denmark have closed their investigations, but there are still no convincing clues as to the perpetrators, targets and background of this unprecedented terrorist attack, the like of which has never been seen before.🗣 It was a terrorist attack on a critical international energy infrastructure. Everyone should be interested in understanding who is behind it. Because the damage is considerable, including for Germany. It is not just about the loss of gas from Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, but also about future contracts, about damage from lost profits. It is an international project in which various companies from several countries were involved, and Germany played a significant role in it. The damage has been done, but who is to blame is still unclear.🗣 One thing is clear: without careful preparation and serious state support, it would hardly be possible to carry out such a terrorist attack.
22 Aug 2024 - Press Secretary of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova
🇩🇪 We cannot leave uncommented the statement of a spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office that Berlin is allegedly exchanging information with our country about the terrorist attacks on the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in September 2022.
· With this statement, the German side is obviously trying to question the validity of our accusations against the German authorities, who are refusing to cooperate in solving this Europe-wide crime, which violates the relevant UN anti-terrorism conventions.
· For almost two years, the German side has been answering all requests from the relevant Russian authorities regarding the Nord Stream bombings with flimsy evasions and excuses. Not a single document sent to us contains factual information. This is not the first time that Berlin has tried to convince the public and the international community that it is supposedly fulfilling all bilateral obligations under international law. Yet Germany is not providing the Russian side with the facts it has about this investigation, although it is obliged to do so.
☝️ Russia insists on holding official bilateral consultations in accordance with the existing rules of the United Nations anti-terrorism conventions. The Foreign Office representative's comments reinforce our suspicion that Berlin wants to cover up the investigation, which is being conducted in strict secrecy, in order to prevent the real masterminds behind the attack on the largest trans-European energy infrastructure - which is of crucial importance for Germany itself - from becoming known.
· The harassment of German media trying to find out the truth about Germany's energy security shows, in my opinion, that Berlin has something to hide. It seems extremely uninterested in the truth coming out.
22 Aug 2024 - Director of the Third European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Oleg Tjapkin in an interview with RIA Novosti:
💬 All countries to which Russian law enforcement authorities have sent inquiries regarding the terrorist attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines - with the exception of Germany - have already closed their national investigations. The people who commissioned the attacks and the perpetrators have not been named. This result does not surprise us. At the same time, the West has blocked international investigations.
💬 The German authorities have put one of the suspected perpetrators of the attacks in the Baltic Sea, a Ukrainian citizen, on the wanted list. Since German media have long methodically spread the theory that these people have no connection with state actors, the German investigations will also be closed without identifying the real masterminds behind the Nord Stream attacks. As absurd as this may sound in view of the fact that Germany is one of the main victims in this case.
💬 Russia will not accept this. We have raised the question of whether Germany and the other countries concerned are fulfilling their obligations under the United Nations anti-terrorism conventions. We have also officially addressed corresponding demands to Berlin at the bilateral level. Our aim is to conduct the negotiations in accordance with the applicable international rules.
19 Aug 2024 - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov:
💬 Germany must answer all questions about the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream pipelines. Berlin must stop categorically refusing to present facts that they could not fail to see. If the information we are requesting is not made available to us through official channels but appears in newspaper articles, the suspicion arises that the whole thing is staged. The operation is intended to distract public opinion in Germany and the world from the real perpetrators, culprits and those who ordered the terrorist act. We will insist on a transparent international investigation.
💬 It is shameful that Germany has silently accepted that the country has been deprived of a long-term basis for its economic prosperity and energy security. For many decades, this was the key to its development in the form of sustainable supplies of Russian gas at reasonable prices. Berlin has swallowed this silently and without comment.
💬 Now they are trying to blame everything on some officers who were drinking with businessmen. This is not credible. Even if some of the people mentioned in the German press - Ukrainians were mentioned - were somehow involved, it is clear that they could not have done it alone. To carry out such a terrorist attack, an order was needed "from the very top" and for the West, the "top" is in Washington.
🗣 Question: The attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines will soon be two years old. The German government is still silent on the progress of the investigation. Have there been any signals or requests from the German side in the past, or is Berlin still keeping quiet?💬 Sergei Nechaev: Despite repeated requests from the Russian side, German authorities continue to reject any offers for open international investigations into the terrorist attacks on the largest object of European energy infrastructure. Reference is made to the ongoing investigation by the Federal Prosecutor's Office, combined with the warning not to "hinder" it. During this time there has not been a single official statement that could have clarified the background to the crime in any way. Attempts are being made to push the issue back by all means. A possible date for the end of the investigation has not been announced.💬 In a situation where Denmark and Sweden have demonstratively and obviously not accidentally refrained from conducting their own investigations, Germany is the de facto monopolist of this process. And this is in view of the fact that, among the Western countries, Germany in particular, as the most important buyer of Russian natural gas and gas distribution hub for Europe, has suffered particularly significant losses as a result of the attacks.
16 May 2024 - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova comments on the attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines
🔹 The decisions taken by the Danish and Swedish authorities in February 2024 to close the investigations into the acts of sabotage committed against the Nord Stream pipelines in the exclusive economic zone of Denmark and Sweden in September 2022 confirmed that these States have no interest in identifying the sponsors and perpetrators.
🔹 From the beginning, both Copenhagen and Stockholm have refused to cooperate with the Russian side in the investigation. They have blocked an international investigation under the auspices of the UN and have not handed over any results to Russia after they closed their national investigations. The question arises whether they really existed.
🔹 One gets the impression that the Danish and Swedish authorities are fairly certain who carried out this terrorist attack and prefer to stay away from it. Or the political pressure is so great that it is a matter of life and death for them. Do we need any more proof of who is behind it? What else needs to happen to understand who really benefits from the breakdown of a stable energy partnership between Western Europe and Russia?
🔹 The Russian Foreign Ministry will continue to demand a transparent and politically unbiased investigation into the acts of sabotage involving the relevant Russian authorities and Gazprom, despite the obstacles artificially created by the West. This terrorist attack is a serious precedent that poses a threat not only to regional but also to global energy security and requires a collective response from the international community. We would like to further emphasize that, with regard to the volume of gas exports of Nord Stream 1 and investments in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, our country is an affected party.
13 May 2024 - The Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Vasily Nebenzia
🗣 In the more than one and a half years since the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea, the UN Security Council has discussed this issue many times. All members of the body have condemned the deliberate destruction of a major object of the cross-border underwater gas pipeline infrastructure. Without a doubt, this event poses a direct threat to international peace and security.
🗣 Given the gravity of this crime, many of our colleagues in the UN Security Council have pinned their hopes on the results of the state investigations launched by Germany, Denmark and Sweden immediately after the attack. Russia immediately expressed skepticism, as these countries have resolutely refused to speak to the Security Council and report on their activities, limiting themselves to empty and vague letters.
🗣 In February 2024, it was announced in the UN Security Council that the Danish and Swedish authorities had closed their investigations. What did they find out? Nothing. The claim, made in the first days after the attack, that the Nord Stream pipelines were deliberately destroyed with explosives remained the only concrete conclusion. This sounds like a year after the murder, the investigation would conclude that the victim was killed. Such a scenario is more like the theater of the absurd.
🗣 However, the Western members of the UN Security Council do not seem to be confused by this unpleasant situation. All this time, they have been expressively revealing themselves in their work. At the same time, the Western states have demonstrated that they are not even interested in finding and punishing the perpetrators. Their main interest seems to be in distracting the UN Security Council from this issue and protecting their allies who do not provide the international community with useful information and refuse to cooperate with Russia. There are no other reasons for such behavior.
💬 It was not an act of sabotage, as the West tries to suggest, but a terrorist attack that was carried out on the Nord Stream pipeline. The government of a country that did not ensure effective investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators is blatantly violating a UN agreement. Not only were obligations under international law violated. The right to a healthy environment was compromised and the economy suffered considerable damage.💬 Everyone knows very well who did it. However, our so-called partners are trying to conceal the background to the explosions at the Nord Stream.
Since October 2022, we have submitted 15 requests for legal assistance to the competent authorities in Germany, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland and Sweden, requesting information from witness interviews and information on the ongoing investigations, and proposing the establishment of joint investigation teams. However, the requested information was provided on the basis of a single request and only by the Danish side, and was of a purely formal nature.
💬 The decision of these countries not to cooperate with us shows above all that an investigation was never really carried out there. The fear that this could reveal the names of those responsible, whose traces undoubtedly lead overseas, is more important to them than national interests. However, this remains a burden on everyone's conscience. In addition, they fear being confronted with compensation claims for the destruction of our infrastructure. I continue to call on foreign colleagues to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, because this is our common evil.💬 Our investigations, however, are making progress. In order to determine the causes of the damage to the pipelines, localize the damage, and determine the characteristics and explosive power of the explosive devices, an explosives report is currently being prepared and further investigative measures are being carried out.
11 March 2024 - From the interview of the Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergei Netschajew with TASS
❓ The Russian President stated: If the German government wanted it, gas could flow again within a week through a still intact section of Nord Stream 2. Under what conditions do you think the German government could decide to do this? Are there any conditions at all for the pipeline to be able to resume operation in the foreseeable future?
🗣 I do not presume to predict further steps by the federal government. Our president's proposal was clear enough and was heard here. We have not yet seen a constructive reaction. In fact, there have been several proposals in Germany at regional and economic level to restore Nord Stream and put it into operation. That would be an extremely advantageous step for the Federal Republic and its citizens. At the moment, Germany would rather deal with further sanctions packages against Russia. National energy interests are taking a back seat here. Unfortunately, the primacy of politics over the economy remains unassailable here.
💬 As far as the Nord Stream gas pipelines are concerned, we should look for someone who is interested. In this case, however, we should not only look for someone who is interested, but also for someone who is able to implement it. There are many interested parties, but not all of them can carry out an explosion on the Baltic Sea floor. These two components must coincide, namely who is interested and who can do it.💬 The USA is difficult to defeat in a propaganda war because it controls all global and several European media. In the end, American foundations benefit from the largest European media. The whole world understands what happened anyway and even American analysts speak openly about it.
27 Feb 2024 - The press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov comments on the discontinuation of the Danish investigation into the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream pipelines
💬 The situation borders on the absurd: Danish authorities allegedly do not have enough evidence to initiate criminal proceedings. The investigations have apparently led to close allies being charged.
💬 It has been confirmed that this was a deliberate act of sabotage, but the Danish authorities are not refusing to provide us with any information or to participate in the investigation.
16 Nov 2023 - Russia stops work on its draft UN Security Council statement to investigate the attack on Nord Stream
🔹 On September 26, 2023, on the anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Russia announced at a UN Security Council briefing that it was preparing a draft statement by the Chairman of the UN Security Council on this matter. We considered it important for the Security Council to send a unified signal that an impartial international investigation must be carried out into the incident so that something similar does not happen again in the future.
🔹 We have been holding conscientious discussions for a month and have carefully considered all the constructive suggestions made by the members of the Security Council. In the course of the discussions, however, it has become clear that the Western representatives are not prepared to work seriously on this and are instead looking for ways to make the whole thing come to nothing. Their suggestion alone to delete the wording on holding the perpetrators and those who ordered the attacks to account from the draft declaration speaks volumes.
🔹 The main argument of the West is that the Security Council should not interfere in the national investigations in Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Last year, however, these countries did not even provide the international community with preliminary results of the investigations and continue to refuse to cooperate with the states concerned. Meanwhile, the media is constantly generating new narratives that only reinforce our doubts about the interest of these countries in finding the people who commissioned the investigation and the perpetrators.
🔹 In this situation, the Russian side had to slow down work on the draft statement of the Chairman of the UN Security Council on the investigation of the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream pipelines.
🔹 Russia will continue to bring this issue to the attention of the international community. Moscow is convinced that the attack on this key energy infrastructure, which has large-scale economic and environmental consequences, represents an immediate threat to world peace and international security. The perpetrators must be brought to justice.
14 Nov 2023 - Russia's permanent UN representative Vasily Nebenzia
📌 The longer the West remains silent about the investigation into the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, the more obvious it is that the Western states are playing for time so that the international community will forget this case. But the Russian Federation will not allow this. We will do everything we can to ensure that the UN Security Council continues to deal with this issue.
📌 It is striking how differently the Western states view the investigations into the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines and the damage to the Baltic Connector pipeline. The Finnish government immediately stressed the need for a thorough investigation into this incident, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned any incident of deliberate destruction of gas pipelines and underwater cables. Preliminary results were published just ten days later, on October 19, 2023. The double standards that our Western colleagues are used to are easy to see.
27 Oct 2023 - Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Germany Sergei Netschajew in an exclusive interview with the news agency TASS
❓ Question: More than a year has passed since the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream pipeline. Is there any progress in the investigation? Is the German side ready to share information on the status of the investigation with Russia? Is Berlin interested in Russia's involvement in the investigation? What do you think about the media reports that indicate that the trail of the perpetrators leads to Ukraine?
💬 Ambassador Nechayev: The countries investigating the attack have not yet presented any concrete results. We have received either no responses or only formal responses to our official inquiries. Our offers of cooperation and our calls for transparency in the investigation have been rejected. This raises serious questions about the objectivity and impartiality of the investigations, not only on our part but also on the part of some German politicians.
💬 It is hard to believe that European countries, with modern intelligence tools and technical expertise, were unable to solve within a year the largest terrorist attack on strategic European infrastructure that occurred on their own doorstep. Yet today there is only a lot of speculation and disinformation in the media, apparently designed to distract from the real perpetrators and confuse the public, however ridiculous and absurd they may seem. This is exactly how we view the attempts to shift responsibility onto mysterious Ukrainian divers on a sailing yacht.
💬 We remain committed to a transparent investigation into one of the largest infrastructure terrorist attacks in history. We will do everything in our power, including participating in multilateral fora, to ensure that the truth comes to light.
19 Oct 2023 - Press spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on investigations into Nord Stream attacks
🗣 For a year, the authorities of Germany, Denmark and Sweden have not provided the international community with any clear information about the national investigations into the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream pipeline, even their preliminary results. Against this background, various misleading versions are being spread in the media, which serve to distract from the real perpetrators and masterminds of this crime. At the same time, serious investigations conducted by journalists are largely ignored.🗣 Russia has a great interest in ensuring that the real perpetrators of the terrorist attack on a key infrastructure facility, which had a significant impact on the economy and the environment, do not escape responsibility. This year, on our initiative, four meetings of the UN Security Council were convened, including one on September 26, 2023, at which we announced our work on a draft statement by the Chairman of the Security Council. Russia will continue to persistently insist on this issue in the United Nations, including in the Security Council.🗣 The aim of this document is to send a clear signal of the Council's unity in condemning this crime. The Anglo-Saxon duo will probably try to prevent the drafting of such a document. We remember well how Britain has repeatedly tried to prevent any discussion of this issue in the Security Council and to block the implementation of practical measures. Russia has put forward proposals to conduct the investigation under the leadership of UN Secretary-General Guterres, put forward many practical initiatives, asked questions and invited experts. But Britain has blocked all this with full force. Nevertheless, we will not let up in our efforts. We hope that our Western "colleagues" will show at least some respect for international law, since they are already represented in the Security Council, and that they will show a willingness to seriously cooperate in this project. Ultimately, only those who were directly involved in this crime can be against an objective investigation.
19 Oct 2023 - From the address of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin at the international forum “Russian Energy Week” on October 11, 2023
💬 I am dismayed by the position of several European states, because the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines is a blatant act of international terrorism, which was apparently carried out by state actors. A group of people who suddenly decided to blow up the gas pipelines could not carry out such an act on their own without state assistance. This requires technology and specially trained specialists. But no one is investigating this. Our repeated proposals to take part in this investigation have been ignored.
💬 A gas pipeline laid directly to Germany by Nord Stream 2 was not affected. That means 27.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year, all you have to do is press a button. But that requires a decision from the federal government. But they prefer to buy everything from Washington at a 30% higher price and not use our energy resources. That is their decision. Only in the USA, where German companies are now moving, are people happy about it.
💬 It seems to me like unreasonable economic behavior. I simply cannot understand why gas can be delivered to Germany through the territory of Ukraine and not through Nord Stream 2? It would still be understandable to me if they said: close everything and import nothing. I believe that many things that are happening in the German economy are hardly understood by anyone, even in Germany. I would like to emphasize again that when I speak to German colleagues - I still have contacts - they all shrug their shoulders. It is completely unclear what the government is guided by.
25 Sept 2023 - Russian ambassador on the anniversary of terrorist attacks on Nord Stream
💬 It has been exactly one year since an unprecedented terrorist attack on the largest objects of European energy infrastructure, the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, caused colossal environmental damage, caused immense losses to investors and physically destroyed the energy relations between 🇷🇺 and 🇩🇪 , which for several decades had been a model of mutually beneficial cooperation. It set the most dangerous precedent of terrorist attacks against critical energy infrastructure, which, if left unpunished, could be repeated anywhere.
💬 The countries investigating the incident have still not presented any tangible results of their investigations. Official requests are either responded to formally or silently. Offers of cooperation are rejected, as are calls for the greatest possible transparency in the investigations. All of this is extremely serious and raises questions about the objectivity and impartiality of the ongoing investigations.
💬 It is difficult to believe that the EU countries, which have the most modern intelligence tools and technical expertise, would prove incapable of solving a massive terrorist attack that took place right under their noses within a year. But the fact remains: all we have so far is a lot of speculation and fakes that have been launched into the media in order to dispel suspicion of the real perpetrators and to mislead the public, however bizarre and ridiculous this may be.
💬 We continue to press for maximum transparency in the investigation into one of the largest attacks on an infrastructure facility, which has had a significant impact on Germany as well as Russia. We will do everything in our power to bring the truth to the public, including in international formats.
7 Sept 2023 - Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova
💬 The claim by Germany, Denmark and Sweden that they would inform Russia about the progress of the national investigation into the terrorist attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines does not correspond to reality. There is no information from any side. Our requests for joint investigations or to join the investigations already underway were rejected. The call by the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin to cooperate on the matter was also ignored. To confirm this, on March 14, 2023, we published the correspondence with the relevant authorities of the above-mentioned EU countries as an official document of the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations (S/2023/193). From this it is clear that there is no will to involve the Russian side in the relevant national investigations into what they call the "act of sabotage". On 25 August 2023, we circulated again in the Security Council and the General Assembly a letter (S/2023/627) detailing the sequence of developments and our assessments of the current situation.
💬 We observe, however, that in the absence of serious evidence of Russia's involvement, the Western bloc is working to feign non-involvement in the destruction of critical energy infrastructure. Various narratives are being spread in the form of "leaks" and disinformation from unnamed sources to create more or less the appearance of some kind of activity. It is difficult to predict what these efforts will lead to. The fact is that the investigations underway under the leadership of the national authorities of Germany, Denmark and Sweden are not public and are becoming increasingly less credible.
💬 We will continue to draw the international community's attention to this - in my view - act of terrorism and will work to ensure impartial and thorough investigations. What was blown up was an entirely peaceful project that ensures energy security and involves various countries. The explosion was carried out in accordance with all the rules of a terrorist act. What's more, the environment was also damaged. In addition, there were immense financial losses that various parties, including the states and private operators of the gas pipelines, had to bear. Pretending that nothing has happened - and if something has happened, so be it - will not work.
20 July 2023 - Press spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Sakharova on the information status of the Russian side with regard to the sabotage investigations on the Nord Stream pipelines for the international news agency "Rossija Segodnja"
❓ Germany, Denmark and Sweden have stated that Russia has received information on the progress of the investigation into the Nord Stream sabotage. Do you have a comment?
🗣️ The joint German-Danish-Swedish letter to the UN Security Council on the national investigations into the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines allegedly states that Russia was informed of the progress of the investigation. This is not true - the authorities of these states still stubbornly refuse to cooperate with the Russian side in the investigation of this terrorist attack and have left our repeated official requests with the appeal to share relevant information with us unanswered. All three countries rejected our official requests for legal assistance and the request to set up a joint investigation team.
🗣️ It is noteworthy that Germany, Denmark and Sweden refuse to fully participate in relevant discussions in the UN Security Council, preferring instead to send empty responses. Unfortunately, such actions only reinforce our doubts about the effectiveness of the ongoing national investigations.
🗣️ For our part, we continue to insist on conducting transparent and impartial investigations into this terrorist attack against a critical energy infrastructure facility, without any political influence.
13 July 2023 - Russia's permanent UN representative Vasily Nebenzia
🗣 The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea has been the focus of the UN Security Council for months. Our repeated requests and appeals have left the authorities of Germany, Denmark and Sweden without any reasonable response. This applies both to the letter sent on October 6, 2022 by the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin on the need for a comprehensive and open investigation with the participation of representatives of the Russian authorities and Gazprom, as well as to several relevant notes verbale from the Russian embassies.
🇩🇪🇩🇰🇸🇪 In the end, Berlin, Copenhagen and Stockholm decided to write a joint letter. Unfortunately, it looks like a purely formal reply. Not only is it again misleadingly emphasized that Russia has been informed about the progress of the investigation, but the text is also worded in such a way that it is obvious that the authorities in Germany, Denmark and Sweden want to prepare the members of the UN Security Council in advance that they should not expect any concrete results from the investigations. It is also not foreseeable when the investigations will be completed.
The demonstrative passivity of European countries can only be explained by the fact that they are trying to play for time in order to cover the tracks that lead to the real perpetrators. This is also clearly visible in the obviously coordinated disinformation campaign in the Western media, which spread completely absurd versions of the crime. Previously, some journalists tried very proactively to claim that Russia itself blew up the gas pipeline built in its interests, but now another fictitious opinion prevails that the attack was allegedly carried out by pro-Ukrainian assassins who are said to have no connections to the Kiev regime.
On the contrary, publications by American independent journalists confirm our version that it would be simply impossible to carry out such a crime without the direct involvement or cover of a state actor. For example, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, citing reliable sources, reported that after the meeting between US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in March 2023, the US and German intelligence services were asked to prepare and disseminate an alternative version of the attackers behind the attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines for the media. Immediately afterwards, articles appeared in the Western media about the alleged involvement of a small group of amateurs in the destruction of the pipelines, who were neither experts nor had significant resources and did not enjoy state support. And this even after numerous independent experts, including in the UN Security Council, made it clear that non-specialists could not blow up the pipelines, which were protected using state-of-the-art technology.
We would like to stress that all efforts to conceal the traces of sabotage in the Baltic Sea are doomed to failure. We expect the authorities of Germany, Denmark and Sweden to take concrete steps towards an impartial and transparent investigation of all the circumstances of the incident, necessarily with the participation of the Russian investigative bodies and other interested parties.
The Russian Federation will continue to raise the issue of sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in the Security Council until the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice. The letter mentioned today leaves no doubt that the three states are not facing up to this task. We will use all available means to achieve this goal.
13 July 2023 - Vasily Nebenzia, the permanent representative of Russia to the UN, regarding the vote on the draft UN Security Council resolution on the Nord Stream sabotage:
In this series of publications we present contributions from Russian politicians and officials as well as media commentaries on the Nord Stream sabotage acts:
The critical website NachDenkSeiten: The leading foreign policy "expert" of the CDU has spread fake news about Nord Stream and the role of the Russian Federation in the Bundestag: t.me/RusBotschaft/7
From the interview of Russian ambassador Sergei Nechayev with the newspaper "Izvestia": t.me/RusBotschaft/7
19 June 2023 - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova comments on Nord Stream attacks
💬 In the center of the European continent, civil infrastructure that ensured the region's energy security and energy sovereignty was destroyed as a result of a terrorist attack. This attack caused financial damage, affected security and the environment. But nobody cares. Everything is "fine". It was obvious that this issue is gradually being swept under the carpet.
💬 I believe that the facts and events related to this issue must be evaluated, not only because there is information in the media, but because this information should reach those responsible for official investigations. Or vice versa: those involved in official investigations and who have the necessary authority should pass on verified information to the media. That is how it should be. What we are seeing now is a one-off game by certain journalists who cannot get close to the comments of representatives of Western countries who claim to be conducting investigations.
💬 Neither Sweden, Germany nor the USA are making any official comments. We are giving all the information available to us. We are speaking about how we see the situation and pointing out that the USA has been opposing this project politically and economically for years and then announced its intention to destroy it. We have drawn attention to the fact that this motive is to serve as a basis for investigations and we await an official statement on this.
💬 We hope that those in the West who have assumed responsibility for the investigation and guaranteed its conduct will comment not only on this but also on all other facts that appear in the media and will regularly inform the international community about the progress of the investigation and its results.
17 June 2023 - Statement by Russian Ambassador Sergei Nechayev
💬 Political speculation and media untruths are once again emerging about the sabotage attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines. They also include strong indications of a "Ukrainian trace", since the search for a "Russian trace" has turned out to be a completely hopeless undertaking. We consider all of this to be part of a coordinated approach aimed at removing suspicion from the real perpetrators.
💬 We continue to insist on the most transparent possible investigation into this terrorist attack on an infrastructure facility, which is one of the most devastating in history and has caused the most damage in Germany as well as Russia. Despite claims by the relevant authorities in Germany, Denmark and Sweden, the Russian side has not been informed of the progress or preliminary results of the investigations there, even eight months later. This raises legitimate questions about their objectivity and impartiality.
26 May 2023 - Protest against ambassadors of Germany, Denmark and Sweden over investigations into Nord Stream attacks
🔹 On May 25, 2023, the ambassadors of Germany, Denmark and Sweden were summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, where they were clearly protested against the complete lack of findings from the allegedly ongoing national investigations into the September 2022 sabotage attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines and against the inability of the countries mentioned to ensure the transparency of the investigations.
🔹 It was assessed as unacceptable that the authorities of Germany, Denmark and Sweden refuse to cooperate with Russia on this issue, that a letter from the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin addressed to the heads of government of these countries on October 6, 2022 remains unanswered, stressing the need for a comprehensive and open investigation with the participation of representatives of the Russian authorities and Gazprom, and that relevant verbal notes from the Russian embassies are ignored.
🔹 It was pointed out that the countries mentioned have no interest in clarifying the true circumstances of this sabotage attack. Instead, through their own actions, they are clearly playing for time and trying to cover their tracks and hide the real perpetrators of the crime, which we believe is the work of the known countries. It is no coincidence that unreliable versions are being leaked to the media in order to create confusion.
🔹 The intention was declared to continue to demand from the authorities of Germany, Denmark and Sweden that the sabotage attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines be investigated objectively and thoroughly and that Russia be involved in this process.
💬 We continue to follow the investigation into the sabotage attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022.💬 The question of who is responsible has not yet been answered by anyone because Germany, Denmark and Sweden, each of which is conducting national investigations, clearly lack the political will to make the investigations transparent. This transparency is impossible without the relevant Russian central authorities and experts from Gazprom.
💬 It should be recalled that our requests - a letter from the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin dated October 5, 2022 and verbal notes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - remain without response on the matter.💬 Instead of dialogue, we are witnessing a recurring theatre of the absurd. In the Western media, especially in Germany, Denmark and Sweden, baseless Russophobic allegations are spreading, apparently at the instigation of the national military and special services. It is obvious that such nonsense does not contribute to finding the truth, but on the contrary is only intended to cause confusion.💬 At this point I would like to clear up the fictions of our NATO colleagues.. From 19 to 24 September 2022, scheduled practical exercises of the Baltic Fleet took place in the training areas of the Baltic Sea. The naval forces deployed to carry out the scheduled maneuvers during the period in question could not possibly have been in the area of the suspected terrorist attack given the considerable distance between the maritime training sites.💬 All the activities carried out as part of the military exercises took place in the training areas in the south-eastern and central part of the Baltic Sea, while the explosion site was located near the island of Bornholm, i.e. in the western part of the Baltic Sea. This area is located in the exclusive economic zone of the Kingdom of Denmark, where, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, any activity and actions of the Baltic Fleet are prohibited by definition.💬 The fact that more than six months after the actual event, the Western media are circulating a new "representation" of "Russian involvement" in the explosions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is clear evidence of the ongoing disinformation campaign carried out by the West to prevent the identification of the true perpetrators and those responsible for this act of international terrorism.
💬 I think that after today's vote, suspicions about who is behind the Nord Stream sabotage are only increasing. In front of the eyes of the whole world, the US and its allies have done everything to avoid an objective international investigation into the explosions in September 2022 at the Nord Stream pipelines.💬 First there were public threats at the highest levels in Washington to blow up this pipeline, then they mocked it and expressed their joy that it had been blown up.💬 However, when we raised the question of an objective international investigation, the approach of our American and European colleagues was reduced to denying US involvement on the one hand and preventing a transparent and unbiased clarification of the circumstances of this act of sabotage on the other. And the more evidence emerged of involvement by Washington and its NATO allies, the more the Western camp denied the usefulness of an international investigation.💬 What could this indicate? The US and its allies are trying to cover their tracks, spreading all sorts of speculation and crazy ideas and refusing to respond to the facts that are coming to light that are inconvenient for Washington. If the US were interested in establishing the facts and punishing the perpetrators, it would act differently.
Because the truth matters.
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