(Corrects to say blasts were inside exclusive economic zones of
Sweden and Denmark, not their "territorial waters")
Feb 8 (Reuters) - Russia's foreign ministry said on
Wednesday the United States had questions to answer over its
role in explosions on the undersea Nord Stream gas pipelines
last year.
Commenting on a report published earlier on Wednesday that
said the United States was involved in the explosions, Russia's
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called on the White
House to comment on the "facts" that had been presented.
Reuters was unable to verify the report, published by U.S.
investigative journalist Seymour Hersh on his blog, alleging
U.S. involvement in the explosions.
The White House said on Wednesday that Hersh's account was
"utterly false and complete fiction".
Moscow, without providing evidence, has repeatedly said the
West was behind the explosions affecting the Nord Stream 1 and 2
pipelines last September - multibillion-dollar infrastructure
projects that carried Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic
Sea.
Western officials have denied those accusations.
"The White House must now comment on all these facts,"
Zakharova said in a post on her Telegram page where she
summarised Hersh's main claims regarding the alleged U.S.
involvement.
Investigators from Sweden and Denmark - in whose exclusive
economic zones the explosions occurred - have said the ruptures
were a result of sabotage, but have not said who they believe
was responsible.
Russia said the countries "have something to hide" and are
purposefully blocking Russia out from the investigation.
Construction of Nord Stream 2, designed to double the amount
of gas Russia could send directly to Germany under the sea, was
completed in September 2021, but was never put into operation
after Berlin shelved certification just days before Moscow sent
its troops into Ukraine in February.
(Reporting by Jake Cordell
Editing by Gareth Jones)
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