Russia Says UK Navy Personnel Blew up Nord Stream Gas Pipelines

29 September 2022, Sweden, NA: The picture shows a small gas leak at Nord Stream 2 in the Baltic Sea, photographed from a Swedish Coast Guard aircraft. (Swedish Coast Guard/dpa)
29 September 2022, Sweden, NA: The picture shows a small gas leak at Nord Stream 2 in the Baltic Sea, photographed from a Swedish Coast Guard aircraft. (Swedish Coast Guard/dpa)
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Russia Says UK Navy Personnel Blew up Nord Stream Gas Pipelines

29 September 2022, Sweden, NA: The picture shows a small gas leak at Nord Stream 2 in the Baltic Sea, photographed from a Swedish Coast Guard aircraft. (Swedish Coast Guard/dpa)
29 September 2022, Sweden, NA: The picture shows a small gas leak at Nord Stream 2 in the Baltic Sea, photographed from a Swedish Coast Guard aircraft. (Swedish Coast Guard/dpa)

Russia's defense ministry on Saturday said that British navy personnel blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines last month, directly accusing a leading NATO member of sabotaging critical Russian infrastructure.

The defense ministry did not give evidence for its claim.

"According to available information, representatives of this unit of the British Navy took part in the planning, provision and implementation of a terrorist attack in the Baltic Sea on September 26 this year - blowing up the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines," the ministry said.

Britain's defense ministry declined immediate comment.

Russia has previously blamed the West for the explosions last month that ruptured the Russian-built Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines on the bed of the Baltic Sea.

But Russia has never before given specific details of who was responsible for the damage to the pipelines, previously the largest routes for Russian gas supplies to Europe.

The Kremlin has repeatedly said allegations of Russian responsibility for the damage were "stupid" and Russian officials have said Washington had a motive as it wants to sell more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe.

The United States has denied involvement.



Rubio: 83% of USAID Contracts Will be Canceled

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with the media on his military airplane as he flies to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia March 10, 2025. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with the media on his military airplane as he flies to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia March 10, 2025. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS
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Rubio: 83% of USAID Contracts Will be Canceled

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with the media on his military airplane as he flies to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia March 10, 2025. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with the media on his military airplane as he flies to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia March 10, 2025. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that the US was cancelling 83% of programs funded by USAID, as the Trump administration guts spending not aligned with its “America First” agenda.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) distributes humanitarian aid around the world, with health and emergency programs in around 120 countries, and critics warn that slashing its work will affect millions of people.

“After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID,” Rubio said on social media platform X.

“The 5,200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States.”

US President Donald Trump returned to office on January 20 and immediately ordered a 90-day pause on foreign aid pending a review of whether the programs align with his “America First” foreign policy.

The order, and ensuing stop work orders, threw USAID into turmoil, halting the agency's operations around the world, jeopardizing the delivery of life-saving food and medical aid and throwing global humanitarian relief efforts into chaos.

The administration said it provided waivers for life-saving aid, but humanitarian workers around the world said the funding remained shut.

Thousands of staff were put on leave or fired and contractors terminated. The majority of those put on leave are not expected to be reinstated.

On Monday, the top US diplomat also thanked the staffers of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk, who has been conducting an unprecedented scaling down of the US federal government.

“Thank you to DOGE and our hardworking staff who worked very long hours to achieve this overdue and historic reform,” Rubio said.

A few hours later, Musk responded: “Tough, but necessary. Good working with you. The important parts of USAID should always have been with Dept of State.”

His comments came after the New York Times reported that he and Musk clashed during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, with Musk accusing the top US diplomat of not carrying out deep enough staff cuts at the State Department.

At the meeting, Trump told his Cabinet heads that they, not Musk, have the final say on staffing and policy at their agencies, Reuters reported. Trump denied the NYT report on Friday when asked about it by reporters.

Trump, Musk and Rubio had dinner on Saturday evening at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Sunday.