The report by the US journalist Hersh, according to which the US is said to be behind the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines, provides Russia with new ammunition in the propaganda war. The Russian ambassador to the United States demonstratively supports Hersh – and calls for an independent investigation.
Russia is demanding proof from the US that the US was not behind the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the North Sea. The government in Moscow regards the destruction of the pipelines last September “as an act of international terrorism” and will not allow it to be swept under the carpet, the Russian embassy in the United States said. The sabotage of the pipelines requires “a comprehensive and independent investigation”.
The Swedish public prosecutor’s office is leading the official investigation into the sabotage. Apparently that’s not enough for the Russian ambassador to the United States. Instead of agitating against Russia with “baseless accusations,” the US should prove its innocence, the statement said. In particular, the fact “that nothing is known about the several remaining explosives that appear to be on the seabed” is an indication that the authorship of the sabotage is to be disguised.
In September, a total of four explosions in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark in the Baltic Sea caused several leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which were built to transport Russian gas to Germany. The pipelines were not operating at the time of the explosions but contained gas. According to Sweden, sabotage is behind the incident. Accordingly, explosive residues were detected.
According to a report by the well-known investigative reporter Seymour Hersh, the USA are said to have blown up the gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. US Navy divers planted explosives on the pipelines with the help of Norway last June in a White House-ordered and CIA-planned covert operation. They were remotely detonated in September. US President Joe Biden wanted to prevent Russia from continuing to earn billions from exporting natural gas, writes Hersh.
The prestigious Pulitzer Prize winner drew a lot of criticism for the story – mostly because it relies solely on a single anonymous source. In journalism, the two-source principle is a prerequisite for publishing research. According to experts, the version also contains some contradictions that Hersh does not address. The United States had vehemently denied Hersh’s allegations. “This is completely false and a complete fabrication,” said a spokeswoman for the National Security Council.
The Russian Embassy defended Hersh. The interest of reporters in his report is “more than justified”, especially if he is completely ignored by the US authorities. In Russia, opposition or Kremlin-critical media have been systematically harassed and in some cases banned in recent years. Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, there has been de facto wartime censorship.
