Russia Calls for Probe into Nord Stream Pipeline Blasts to Speed Up

The Kremlin on Tuesday called for the investigation into the blasts of Russia-designed Nord Stream gas pipelines to be speeded up and any results to be published. In September 2022, several unexplained underwater explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 and newly-built Nord Stream 2 pipelines that link Russia and Germany across the Baltic Sea. 

The blasts occurred in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark and both countries say the explosions were deliberate, but have yet to determine who was responsible. The two countries and Germany are investigating the incident. 

The Danish armed forces said last week they took 26 pictures of a Russian vessel near the site of the blasts on Sept. 22 last year, just four days before three of the four pipelines were ruptured.

"Russian ships sail in the Baltic, and this is normal. Everyone has hundreds of photos of Russian ships," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a news conference when asked about the pictures. 

"We insist once again: if there is any data, it needs to be published. The investigation into this terrorist attack must be transparent to everyone and must be accelerated. The world must know the responsible and perpetrators of this terrorist act," he said. 

In February, Denmark, Germany and Sweden told the U.N. Security Council in a joint letter their investigations had not yet concluded and it was not possible to say when they would be.

Russia wants the 15-member council to ask for an independent inquiry into the blasts. Moscow, without providing evidence, has blamed the explosions on Western sabotage. Both the United States and Ukraine have denied having anything to do with the attacks as has Russia.

(Reuters - Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; writing by Vladimir Soldatkin; editing by Angus MacSwan)