Russia accuses US and Ukraine of targeting TurkStream gas pipeline Russia-Ukraine war news

Russia has accused the United States of seeking to sabotage TurkStream, the last pipeline that carries Russian gas exports to Europe.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference on Tuesday that Washington was encouraging “terrorist” attacks on his country’s energy infrastructure, and said there are plans to target TurkStream.

“The United States does not tolerate competition in any sphere, including energy. It recklessly supports terrorist activities aimed at undermining the energy stability of the European Union,” Lavrov said, according to Turkiye’s Anadolu news agency.

“They are encouraging their Ukrainian proxies to disable TurkStream after the Nord Stream sabotage,” he added.

Russia said on Monday it had shot down nine Ukrainian drones that had tried to attack part of TurkStream’s infrastructure.

The pipeline is the last transport of Russian gas to the EU after Ukraine refused to renew a transit contract expiring at the end of 2024. The shutdown of that route also disrupted the unity of the EU on war, with Slovakia. saying it would cause a crisis and threatened to block EU support to Kiev.

Russia called the targeting of the pipeline, which runs under the Black Sea to Turkiye before sending gas onward to Hungary and Austria, an “act of energy terrorism.”

Kiev has not yet commented on the report.

Moscow has accused US-backed Ukrainian agents of sabotaging Nord Stream. The pipeline under the Baltic Sea broke ground in September 2022.

Massive air strike

Ukraine launched a “massive” airstrike hitting multiple targets in Russia overnight Tuesday, according to media reports in both countries.

Hundreds of drones and missiles were fired, with industrial facilities damaged and schools forced to close in at least three cities.

The Shot Telegram channel reported that Russia had shot down more than 200 Ukrainian drones and five US-made ATACMS ballistic missiles.

The head of Ukraine’s official Center Against Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko, told Ukrainian TV on Tuesday that the strikes had targeted weapons production plants, oil refineries and warehouses in Engels, Saratov, Kazan, Bryansk and Tula.

In the energy-rich region of Tatarstan, a drone struck a gas storage tank, sending flames and thick smoke billowing into the sky near the city of Kazan, according to media and the regional government.

In Engels, more than 600 km (373 miles) southwest of Kazan, a “massive drone attack” damaged two industrial sites, regional governor Roman Bussargin wrote on Telegram.

Schools in Saratov and Engels will hold classes online because of the attacks, he added.

Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of the Bryansk region in western Russia, said Ukraine had launched a major missile attack, but did not say which missiles were used.

Flight restrictions were imposed at airports in Kazan, Saratov, Penza, Ulyanovsk and Nizhnekamsk, Russia’s aviation watchdog said.

RussiaThe Ministry of Defense did not immediately comment on the attack or the weapons used.

Trump enters

Ukraine is fired ATACMS provided by the United States and Britain’s Storm Shadow missiles at Russia on November 21 last year, prompting Moscow to respond by launching a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile, known as the “Oreshnik” or Hazel Tree, in Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine have increased their attacks on each other before The inauguration of the President-elect of the United States Donald Trump on the 20th of January.

Ukraine’s air force said on Tuesday it had shot down 58 of 80 drones launched by Russia in 11 regions overnight.

Trump has said he aims to end the nearly three-year-old conflict and each side wants to be in the strongest negotiating position before the new US administration begins any talks to end the conflict.

Uncertainty hangs over the president-elect’s plans for Washington’s support for Ukraine. However, Trump is also eager to convince European nations to buy more liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States – a quest that further reductions in Russian gas supplies could help.