Kremlin blasts Western media downplay of Hersh’s documents
Top Russian officials criticize the sloppy handling of Hersh's report by Western media.
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A large disturbance in the sea is seen off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm on Tuesday, September 27. (Reuters)
Acclaimed investigative journalist and Pulitzer prize winner Seymour Hersh reported that the United States was behind the explosions that destroyed Nord Stream.
Concurrently, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov criticized the sloppy handling of the news by Western media by saying that the article by investigative writer Seymour Hersh about Washington's complicity in the Nord Streams explosions did not make the rounds in Western media, which is surprising.
You're unlikely to see this in the mainstream media. It's real journalism. The investigative journalist Seymour Hersh reveals how the United States, the pirate nation, destroyed Russia's Nord Stream pipeline to Europe. When will Europe wake up?https://t.co/DHXuEcVq43
— John Pilger (@johnpilger) February 9, 2023
"Unfortunately, the article was not widely disseminated in the Western media, which cannot but arouse our surprise," Peskov told journalists.
Moscow sees attempts to quietly halt the international inquiry into the attacks, stressing that this is a dangerous precedent because those who carried out the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines can do so anywhere in the globe, as per the top Russian official.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Peskov affirmed that Hersh's report on Washington's involvement in the explosions at Nord Streams has once again highlighted the need "for an open international investigation into the incidents and punishment for those responsible."
"The appearance of such materials once again shows the need for an open international investigation of this unprecedented attack on critical infrastructure, international critical infrastructure. It is impossible to leave this without revealing the perpetrators and without their punishment," Peskov stressed.
On his account, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said, as quoted by Sputnik, that Moscow is sure that the US will face consequences following the publishing of the report despite US denial.
"How and in what formats to proceed taking into account Hersh's report is a separate question. I think there will be consequences of this, they simply cannot fail to appear, despite all the numerous denials that immediately followed from officials from Washington," Ryabkov said.
On the gas hub project, Peskov divulged that the establishment of a Russian-Turkish gas hub is not now a priority for Ankara, adding that there may be modifications in the procedures, but this will not influence the implementation of plans.
"Of course, this cannot be a priority for Turkey right now. We understand this completely. Accordingly, there may be some kind of time shift. You know that there was a very high intensity of work in this direction. But we have no doubt that Turkey will cope with this disaster, will provide all the necessary assistance to the victims, will be engaged in the restoration of destroyed cities. Many, many countries, including our country, will help Turkey in this if necessary... Therefore, yes, this process may move a little bit, but in fact it will not affect the implementation of plans," Peskov concluded by saying.
A flashback
An account holding the name of famed US investigative journalist and Pulitzer award winner Seymour Hersh said on Wednesday that US Navy divers planted explosives to destroy the Nord Stream pipelines last year.
"Last June, the Navy divers, operating under the cover of a widely publicized mid-summer NATO exercise known as BALTOPS 22, planted the remotely triggered explosives that, three months later, destroyed three of the four Nord Stream pipelines, according to a source with direct knowledge of the operational planning," Hersh wrote in his Substack newsletter.
Seymour Hersh, one of the most decorated and impactful journalists of all time, is now on Substack.
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) February 8, 2023
And he's out with a scoop: the inside story of how the US government blew up the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. https://t.co/Cw8yLcjeMY
The White House responded and dismissed the claims as "false and complete fiction."
Hersh later confirmed to the Russian news agency Sputnik that he authored the investigative report in question.
"Of course," Hersh said as quoted by Sputnik when asked whether he authored the article published on a Substack account created shortly before its publication.
