Moscow may pursue compensation for the damage caused by last year’s explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, according to RIA Novosti, citing Russian diplomat Dmitry Birichevsky. The future of the pipeline projects remains uncertain.
The Nord Stream pipelines, which connect Russia and Germany under the Baltic Sea, experienced unexplained blasts in September last year. Moscow labeled the incident as an act of international terrorism. Dmitry Birichevsky, the head of Russia’s foreign ministry department for economic co-operation, mentioned the possibility of seeking compensation for the damage but did not specify from whom.
Birichevsky also stated that the future of the Nord Stream pipeline system is unclear at the moment, with experts suggesting that the damaged lines could be restored. The Kremlin has said that it is up to all shareholders to decide whether the Nord Stream pipelines should be mothballed.
Sources told Reuters last week that the ruptured Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, built by Russia’s state-controlled Gazprom, were likely to be sealed up and mothballed due to no immediate plans for repair or reactivation.
Nord Stream 1 began operations in November 2011 at a cost of €7.4 billion. Nord Stream 2, with a construction cost of $11 billion, was completed in September 2021 but never entered operations. Germany abandoned the project days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Birichevsky also noted that Western countries oppose a Russia-prepared draft UN Security Council resolution calling for an independent international investigation into the Nord Stream explosions. Despite this, Russia plans to continue insisting on a comprehensive and open international investigation, with the mandatory participation of Russian representatives.
Source: Reuters
