Moscow: Russia on Monday claimed that Ukraine may be involved in the attack on the TurkStream gas pipeline. Commenting at a press briefing in Moscow on reports by Serbian authorities saying explosives were found near TurkStream on their territory, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there is no concrete evidence of who might be behind the attempted attacks, but traces of interference by the Kyiv regime can be presumed.

According to Anadolu Agency, Peskov further elaborated that previous incidents had seen the Kyiv regime directly involved in acts of sabotage against critical energy infrastructure. "With a high degree of probability, it can be assumed that this time, too, some traces of interference by the Kyiv regime will be discovered," he added. He expressed Moscow's hope that during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Trkiye, he was informed that aggressive actions against the infrastructure of the TurkStream and Blue Stream gas pipelines are unacceptable.

Ukraine, on its part, has categorically rejected any attempts to associate it with the explosives found near the Serbia-Hungary TurkStream gas pipeline. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi emphasized that Ukraine "has nothing to do with this," suggesting that it was likely a Russian false-flag operation aimed at interfering with the upcoming Hungarian elections.

In response to the situation, Russia is implementing measures to secure the TurkStream and Blue Stream infrastructure, while Peskov expressed hope that Hungary and Serbia would also take steps to minimize threats to these gas pipelines.

When questioned about a statement by the head of Ukraine's presidential office concerning a potential visit of US envoys to Ukraine after April 12, Peskov claimed he had "no concrete knowledge" of such an agenda. Despite the pause in negotiations on Ukraine, Peskov noted that both Russia and Ukraine maintain contact with the US through their respective channels.

Shifting focus to the Middle East, Peskov commented on the escalating tensions due to aggression against Iran, noting that the entire region is effectively "on fire." He attributed the dangerous consequences and the expanded geography of the conflict to the ongoing aggression, highlighting the severe impact on regional stability.