Sputnik reported that on January 14, 2025, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a press conference on Russia's diplomatic achievements in 2024. This event is held annually and is attended by Russian and foreign journalists.
Speaking at a press conference, Foreign Minister Lavrov accused the US of inciting Ukraine to destroy the TurkStream gas pipeline after paralyzing the Nord Stream pipeline in 2022.
"I have a firm belief: the United States does not want any competitors in any area, starting with energy, where they do not hesitate to allow terrorist acts aimed at destroying the foundations of the European Union's energy security, where they instigated Ukraine to destroy TurkStream after paralyzing Nord Stream - Lavrov said at a press conference.
Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that on January 11, Ukraine attempted to attack the TurkStream gas compressor station near Anapa in the Krasnodar region with nine drones in an attempt to stop gas supplies to European countries. All drones were shot down. The gas compressor station is still operating normally, without any incidents.
The TurkStream and Blue Stream pipelines, which run under the Black Sea to Türkiye, are the last pipelines carrying Russian gas to Europe after Ukraine refused to extend a gas transit agreement through its territory earlier this year.
“Any attack on energy infrastructure is worrying,” Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, spokeswoman for the European Commission on Energy, Climate and Environment, said at a press conference on January 13. She said the EU was closely monitoring the situation but had not yet had any specific contact with Ukraine about the incident.
More than two years ago, explosions on two Russian gas pipelines to Europe - Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 - occurred on September 26, 2022. Germany, Denmark and Sweden do not rule out the possibility that this was an act of deliberate sabotage.
Nord Stream AG said the damage to the gas pipelines was unprecedented and it was impossible to estimate the repair time.
Russian prosecutors open international terrorism case. Russia has repeatedly requested data on Nord Stream explosion but has never received it.
