An investigation by German public broadcasters and a newspaper linked Ukraine to the September 2022 explosions at the two gas pipelines that run between Russia and Germany. Authorities from Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the US are all involved in the investigations.
Media reports have stated that investigators have found no evidence of who ordered the destruction, but citing intelligence leads, they said a pro-Ukrainian group could be responsible.
The US has "no evidence" linking the attack to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky or his top aides. Despite the allegations, Reznikov said he was not concerned the reports could dent Western support for Ukraine.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius urged caution, saying it was important to distinguish if the Ukrainian group was acting "without the knowledge of the government" in Ukraine.
He also warned that the sabotage may have been a false flag operation, where perpetrators deliberately lay false tracks pointing to other actors as misdirection.
The explosions at the Baltic Sea pipelines connecting Russia to Germany occurred in September 2022. Neither pipeline was delivering gas at the time because of the energy stand-off between the European Union and Russia. Moscow denied being behind the incident and pointed the finger at the US as the most likely beneficiary of an attack on the energy infrastructure.
The Nord Stream pipelines have long been a subject of contention between the West and Russia. The US has accused Russia of using the pipelines to exert undue influence over European energy supplies, while Germany sees them as a key source of gas that will help reduce Europe's dependence on energy from other countries.
The incident has raised concerns about the security of Europe's energy infrastructure and the potential for escalation of tensions between Russia and Ukraine.