RT reported that the above information was given by Mr. Putin at his annual press conference on December 19, based on sources from Russian intelligence agencies, but there has been no official confirmation from Slovakia.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr. Putin said that Ukrainian saboteurs had carried out terrorist acts in Russia and were now expanding to European countries.
“They receive support from Europe and at the same time try to carry out terrorist attacks there,” Putin said. “That is their choice, but our choice is to focus on cooperation.”
Mr Putin also said that Russian intelligence agencies would 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, a vital energy route connecting Russian and Kazakh oil suppliers to consuming countries in Europe.
The pipeline splits 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 service opened an investigation in early December into a suspicious group operating in Hungary and Slovakia.
Members of the group are suspected of conducting site surveys near the Druzhba pipeline, raising concerns about possible preparations for a terrorist attack on critical energy infrastructure.
Slovakia's Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said the country had deported two men suspected of overseeing targets related to energy infrastructure, including a key section of a gas pipeline from Ukraine. They were later returned to Ukraine and Hungary.
The energy security issue is becoming more tense as the gas transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine, which ensures the flow of gas 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.
Slovak 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 apply similar countermeasures against Ukraine if gas transit is disrupted.
Earlier in May, the Washington Post, citing leaked Pentagon documents, reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had proposed “destroying the Druzhba pipeline.” Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that the EU had also considered restricting Russian oil imports via the pipeline used by Germany and Poland.
The incident has increased tensions between Russia, Ukraine and European countries, at a time when energy security and regional stability are under pressure.
