Russia claims UK and Ukraine planning sabotage against TurkStream

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) director has alleged that British and Ukrainian intelligence agencies are preparing sabotage operations targeting the TurkStream natural gas pipeline. Alexander Bortnikov made the unsubstantiated claims during a meeting of security chiefs from Commonwealth of Independent States countries in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, escalating diplomatic tensions over European energy infrastructure.

Allegations Against British Intelligence

Bortnikov asserted that "terrorist acts and sabotage" conducted on Russian territory occur "under the patronage of British intelligence services," citing what he described as "reliable information." The FSB chief specifically accused Britain's Special Air Service and MI6 of planning drone strikes against facilities of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which transports oil from Kazakhstan to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea.

TurkStream Pipeline Threats

"We have information about the British, together with Ukrainian intelligence services, preparing sabotage against the TurkStream gas pipeline," Bortnikov stated, though he offered no specific details or evidence to support the allegation. The TurkStream pipeline carries Russian natural gas to Türkiye and onward to southern Europe, representing a critical energy infrastructure project that has continued operating despite Western sanctions on Moscow.

Broader Accusations and Regional Tensions

The Russian security chief further claimed that a major Ukrainian drone operation targeting Russian airfields during the summer, referred to by Kyiv as "Operation Spiderweb," was conducted under British supervision ahead of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul. Bortnikov accused the United Kingdom of repeatedly undermining "genuine initiatives to peacefully resolve the conflict in Ukraine" and allegedly pushing Europe toward armed confrontation with Russia, warning that such a clash "could be most disastrous."