Zelensky denies Ukraine's involvement in the Nord Stream explosion

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied claims that Kyiv was involved in planning or carrying out the operation to blow up the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.

As 1news.az reports, the Ukrainian leader made the statement on August 23 at a press conference in Kyiv.

"Kyiv is open to joint activities with partners to establish all the circumstances of the incident; Ukraine's law enforcement agencies have already been involved in this cooperation. The Ukrainian side is not discussing this issue with Germany at a high level for the first time. They know perfectly well that Ukraine was not behind the execution and planning of the operation in question. An investigation is currently underway, in the course of which charges are being brought and witnesses are being questioned. In addition, the circumstances involving citizens, among whom there are Ukrainians, are being investigated. The Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine are dealing with this issue and maintain constant contact with partners. We are open to everything. For Ukraine, it is important not to lose the partnership and trust of the European countries that have supported it since the beginning of the full-scale war," the Ukrainian leader said.

The explosions on the pipelines occurred in September 2022, seven months after the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war, and damaged three of the four lines of Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2.