New Delhi, September 28
The US Embassy in Moscow has asked Americans to “depart Russia immediately while limited commercial travel options remain.” Though it cited conscription of those with dual nationality and arrests for participating in demonstrations, the advisory comes a day after massive undersea explosions on Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines which carry natural gas to Europe.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said allegations that Russia could be behind the incidents were “predictable and stupid” and that the damage had caused Russia huge economic losses. “Available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act. Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.
“The European Union suspects that the damage to the two underwater natural gas pipelines was sabotage and has warned of retaliation,” a senior official said on Wednesday, as energy companies began ramping up security. The episode, that underscores the vulnerability of Europe’s energy infrastructure, has further heightened tensions in the continent that has been rocked by the seven-month war in Ukraine.
