Russia says to continue seeking answers over Nord Stream explosions

MOSCOW

Russia will continue seeking answers over last year's explosions that hit the Nord Stream pipelines despite Denmark's refusal to give access to the probe, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday.

In a comment on the ministry's website, Zakharova said Denmark's decision shows that it "acts on instructions of overseas masters."

Zakharova said Denmark deliberately delayed permit for Nord Stream 2 construction, and ignored Russia's information on finding an alleged part of an explosive device attached to the pipes.

"Copenhagen, which is so zealously defending the interests of the US in Europe, was initially not interested in conducting an investigation that could shed light on the true perpetrators and customers of the terrorist attacks," she said.

The spokeswoman said Danish authorities have so far neither given any "intelligible answer" to numerous requests from the Russian side, nor provided any results of the investigation, although the country is the legitimate owner of the pipelines.

"Despite the refusal of the Danish side to jointly investigate the sabotage, the Russian Foreign Ministry will continue to seek answers from Copenhagen to the questions raised earlier," Zakharova stressed, adding that attempts to "quietly drop the issue" will not succeed.

"We proceed from the fact that only a comprehensive and open international investigation with the mandatory participation of Russian representatives can provide the public with reliable and objective data on the causes, perpetrators and customers of sabotage," she said.

The Nord Stream pipelines, which carried Russian natural gas to northern Germany via the Baltic Sea, were ruptured in a series of blasts on Sept. 26 last year, causing leaks in what officials from countries in the region called "likely sabotage."