RT reported that the above information was given by Mr. Putin at the annual press conference on December 19, based on information from the Russian intelligence agency, but there has been no official confirmation from Slovakia.
Speaking at the press conference, Mr. Putin said that Ukrainian saboteurs have carried out terrorist acts in Russia and are now expanding to European countries.
They receive support from Europe and at the same time try to carry out terrorist attacks here, Putin said. That is their choice, but our choice is to focus on cooperation.
Mr. Putin also said that the Russian intelligence agency will request detailed information about the incident through cooperation channels with international partners.
The Russian president's statement may be related to a sabotage plot targeting the Druzhba oil pipeline, an important energy route connecting Russian and Kazakhstan oil suppliers with countries consuming in Europe.
The pipeline is divided into two branches: the northern branch goes to Poland and Germany, while the southern branch goes through Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
According to Hungary's Magyar Nemzet newspaper, the country's security agency opened an investigation in early December involving a group of suspected organizations operating in Hungary and Slovakia.
Members of the group are suspected of conducting a survey of the site near the Druzhba pipeline, raising concerns about the possibility of preparing a terrorist attack on critical energy infrastructure.
Slovakian interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok has said the country has deported two men suspected of monitoring targets related to energy infrastructure, including a key section of the Ukrainian gas pipeline. These people were later returned to Ukraine and Hungary.
Energy security is further strained as the gas transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine, which ensures gas flows from Russia to the EU, expires at the end of this year. Slovakia, one of the countries heavily dependent on this energy route, has expressed concern.
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico warned on December 20 of a potential gas crisis if Ukraine does not extend the transit agreement. He also mentioned the possibility that Slovakia will take similar retaliatory measures against Ukraine if gas transit is delayed.
Previously, in May, the Washington Post, citing leaked Pentagon documents, said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had proposed destroying the Druzhba pipeline. Meanwhile, Bloomberg said the EU has also considered limiting imports of Russian oil via pipelines used by Germany and Poland.
The incident has increased tensions between Russia, Ukraine and European countries, in the context of energy security and regional stability under great pressure.
