The EU has said leaks in two major gas pipelines from Russia to Europe were caused by sabotage – but stopped short of directly accusing Russia.
European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said deliberate disruption would meet the “strongest possible response”.
The EU has previously accused Russia of using gas supplies as a weapon against the West over its support for Ukraine.
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed accusations of sabotage as “predictable, stupid and absurd”.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he thought the leaks would “not have a significant impact on Europe’s energy resilience”.
Neither pipeline is transporting gas at the moment, although they both contain gas.
You will recall, the operators of Nord Stream 2 warned of a loss of pressure in the pipeline on Monday afternoon. That led to Danish authorities saying ships should avoid the area near the island of Bornholm.
