Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on February 24, during a meeting with the Federal Security Service (FSB) in Moscow, that Russia had received intelligence suggesting a possible attempt to sabotage the TurkStream and Blue Stream natural gas pipelines running under the Black Sea to Türkiye.

Putin said the information pointed to a possible attack on Russia’s underwater gas infrastructure, and linked the alleged threat to efforts to derail negotiations over the war in Ukraine, The Caspian Post reports, citing Turkish media.

He also said Russia’s energy and transport infrastructure should receive stronger protection, as Moscow continues to accuse Ukraine of attacks on strategic facilities during the war.

Putin, speaking on the fourth anniversary of the conflict, ordered the FSB to step up security measures for critical infrastructure.

Putin's warning concerned a possible explosion targeting the two pipelines on the Black Sea seabed.

Both TurkStream and Blue Stream were built to transport Russian natural gas to Türkiye.