Incident on the gas pipeline in the Volgograd region: possible use of explosives
The gas pipeline “Central Asia – Center” has stopped operating in the Volgograd region. One of the possible reasons is the use of explosive devices, reports LIGA.net, citing sources in the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (HUR).
On December 19, the Russian side reported an accident on the main gas pipeline “Central Asia – Center”, explaining the incident by soil subsidence. However, according to Ukrainian intelligence, devices resembling explosives were attached to the pipeline. This is confirmed by the provided photographs from the scene.
The incident caused a massive arrival of emergency and special service vehicles to the site of the accident. The “Central Asia – Center” gas pipeline, which was previously used to import up to 12 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, is a strategic object of the Russian energy system. After 2022, this infrastructure has been actively involved in reverse schemes to cover deficits in the domestic market.
The transportation of gas through this route has been suspended indefinitely. The detected damage may indicate possible sabotage acts, which, according to the source, may be repeated, especially near objects financing military actions against Ukraine.
As of early December, a remote detonation of the “Druzhba” oil pipeline also occurred in Russia. Such events may indicate broader geopolitical processes around energy corridors in the region.
| Gas pipeline | “Central Asia – Center” |
| Gas producers | Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan |
| Maximum import | 12 billion cubic meters per year |
| Reason for stopping | Possible use of explosive devices |
| Distance to the front | over 500 km |
