Putin Calls West Media Reports on Nord Stream Blasts “Nonsense”

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called recent Western media reports claiming that a "pro-Ukrainian group" carried out the sabotage on Nord Stream gas pipelines "complete nonsense." 

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"I am sure that this is complete nonsense," Putin said considering that "such an explosion, with such power, at such a depth, can only be carried out by specialists, and supported by the full power of a state, possessing certain technologies."

From the capital of the Russian republic of Buryatia, Ulan-Ude, the president told the press that "theoretically the U.S. is certainly interested - in stopping the supply of Russian energy resources to the European market."

In this regard, Putin brought up Washington's greed to supply "volumes of its natural gas, especially liquefied, even though it is much more expensive - by 25-30% - than Russian."

Reports published last week by The New York Times citing unnamed sources ruled out the involvement of U.S. or British citizens in the natural gas pipeline explosions in September. 

The German newspaper Zeit, meanwhile, also published a report on the discovery of a yacht used by the saboteurs belonging to a company registered in Poland and allegedly owned by Ukrainian nationals. 

All these versions followed a report by U.S. journalist Seymour Hersh outlining Washington's direct involvement in the sabotage with Norwegian assistance. 

According to Hersh, U.S. Navy divers, following orders from President Joe Biden's administration, planted the explosives last June under the guise of a NATO exercise and detonated them remotely in September.