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Negligence was to blame for the explosion of a natural gas pipeline that supplies Russian gas to Europe, Ukraine's top prosecutor said Tuesday.
Monday's blast destroyed about 100 feet of the Urenhoi-Pomary-Uzhhorod line south of Kiev. Nobody was injured.
Prosecutor General Svyatoslav Piskun said that shifting soil led to a break in the pipeline. He said officials should have been able to spot the natural changes occurring and taken action to build up the soil around the pipeline.
Piskun said that a similar explosion occurred in 2003 at the same location. Prosecutors launched an investigation and have already identified officials responsible for the damaged stretch of the pipeline, he said.
The pipeline, which pumps gas from Russia onto European consumers, is one of the main trunk lines that cross this former Soviet republic. Ukraine is one of the main transit points for Russian gas headed onto the European Union.
On Monday, state-owned transit company Ukrtransgaz said European consumers would not be affected by the disabled line. The company said gas would be pumped through other pipelines in its vast network and taken out of underground storage units.
Ukraine's top prosecutor said Tuesday a blast that damaged a Russian gas pipeline bound for Europe Monday was caused by negligence rather than terrorism.
The blast and ensuing fire that hit the pipeline Monday evening raised speculation that it could have been a terrorist attack aimed at disrupting the situation in the country, which is already locked in a political crisis.
"This was no terrorist attack ... but negligence by some officials," Svyatoslav Piskun said following a conference on the issue in Kiev, adding that the preliminary investigation had cited loss of pressure in the pipeline and sinking ground as the technical reasons.
Russian energy giant Gazprom [RTS: GAZP], which controls the pipeline, said Monday supplies to Europe had been unaffected and rerouted through a bypass pipeline.
Ukraine's national oil and gas company, Naftogaz, said Tuesday deliveries to domestic clients would be resumed in full by May 9 marked as Victory Day in former Soviet republics. "Repair teams are working round-the-clock at the site to restart gas supplies to consumers by the holiday," the press service said.
The European Commission is assessing the consequences of the blast for Europe. Ferran Tarradellas, spokesman for the European commissioner for energy, said European customers had not complained about any disruptions and quoted the Ukrainian side's assurances that supplies would continue as scheduled.
