MOSCOW. Feb 9 (Interfax) - A report by United States journalist Seymour Hersh regarding the blasts on the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines calls for an international investigation into this unprecedented attack on critical infrastructure, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
"Some points [in the article] might be disputed, and some points require proof, but it is remarkable in the depth of its analysis and the consistency of its presentation. It would be at least unfair to disregard it, especially for such a country as Germany, which that terrorist attack deprived of a very important energy asset," Peskov said.
"You know that we have also stated that there's information indicating that Anglo-Saxons were behind the organization of this act of sabotage. You can see some coincidences in this respect. But of course, the publication of such materials shows yet again that there's a need for an open international investigation into this unprecedented attack on critical international infrastructure," Peskov said.
"This can't be left without identifying and punishing those responsible," he said.
"It's very important for media representatives, not only Russian but also foreign ones, to pay attention to Mr. Hersh's very profound although perhaps somewhat controversial article about the White House's supposed involvement and direct role in the organization of that act of sabotage, an act of terrorism with respect to critical energy infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, the Nord Stream pipelines. Unfortunately, the article wasn't broadly circulated in Western media, which can't but surprise us," Peskov said.
He was also asked whether Russia would take any steps to draw the international public's attention to Hersh's article.
"Definitely, it needs to be analyzed. After all, it's a journalistic investigation, and it can't be perceived as an original source. But this is a very important material. This material should speed up the international investigation, but, on the contrary, we see attempts to silently phase out this international investigation," he said.
From the viewpoint of journalistic ethics, international publications should play a great role in drawing attention to such investigations and preventing the matter from being hushed up, he said.
"The world should learn the truth about who committed that act of sabotage. Because this is a very dangerous precedent. If someone committed it once, then they might commit it again at any spot in the world. There are not so many countries around the world that can commit such acts of sabotage," Peskov said.
Earlier, U.S. journalist Seymour Hersh reported citing a source that the pipelines were blown up on the orders from Biden. Combat swimmers from the U.S. Navy perpetrated the sabotage with the assistance of Norway, the source said.
The White House and the Central Intelligence Agency dismissed as fake the media reports alleging that the U.S. leadership ordered to blow up the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines last year.
The explosion depressurized two Nord Stream lines and one Nord Stream 2 line off the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022. A criminal case was opened in Russia on counts of international terrorism. Swedish security service arrived at the conclusion that the gas pipeline incident was an act of sabotage.