9 Mar 2023

Pro-Ukraine group possibly linked to pipeline blasts - reports

From Morning Report, 7:27 am on 9 March 2023

Ukraine has denied any involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, which were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany.

It follows a media report citing new US intelligence a "pro-Ukrainian group" is to blame for September's attack.

Underwater explosions in the Baltic Sea occurred before the pipelines burst in several places in the Baltic Sea.

Ukraine's defence minister Oleksii Reznikov says it's not the work of his people.

Moscow has called the US report a "fake news campaign" to divert attention from the real perpetrators - the West.

Back on the frontline, the Wagner mercenary group claims the eastern part of the besieged Ukranian city of Bakhmut is now under his fighters' control.

Ukraine hasn't responded to that claim, but NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg has, and he isn't sounding hopeful.

The BBC's James Waterhouse spoke to Corin Dann from Kyiv.