The American journalist Seymour Hersh, former Pulitzer Prize winner, published on his blog an investigation in which he asserts that the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines last September was the work of the United States. Russia has been quick to support these allegations while Washington has emphatically denied.
In a post published on his own blog, Seymour Hersh, who relies on a single anonymous source, writes that US Navy divers, aided by Norway, planted explosives in June on the gas pipelines linking Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, triggering their explosion three months later.
The United States flatly rejected the article, calling the information “pure fiction.” Norway has also denied any involvement. The Kremlin for its part took the opportunity to echo this article: “Some things (in this publication) are questionable, others need to be proven, but the article is remarkable for its analysis depth and its harmonious account” of events, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“It would be at least unfair not to pay attention to it, especially for a country like Germany which was deprived of this crucial energy infrastructure following the attack” in September, he estimated. For Dmitri Peskov, the article by Seymour Hersh shows “once again the need for a transparent international investigation into this unprecedented attack”. “There are not many countries in the world that can commit such acts of sabotage,” he added.
Also read: Nord Stream: the gas is flowing again but the showdown continues
Western countries had accused Russia of being responsible for these impressive gas leaks preceded by underwater explosions, adding to the anger aimed at Moscow after the start of its offensive in Ukraine. Russia accuses the “Anglo-Saxons” of being behind this sabotage. The investigations carried out by the Swedish, Danish and German authorities have not yet made it possible to determine who is responsible.
In his article, Seymour Hersh claims that US President Joe Biden himself decided to blow up these gas pipelines in order to deprive Moscow of the staggering revenues from its gas sales to Europe.
The now controversial star investigator
Aged 85, the journalist is one of the most famous American investigative reporters. In particular, he revealed the massacre committed by American soldiers in the village of My Lai during the Vietnam War, which won him the Pulitzer Prize in 1970.
But several of his articles – particularly on the hunt for Osama bin Laden or the current conflict in Syria – have sparked controversy in recent years, with other journalists accusing him of spreading conspiracy theories.
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