Massive explosion hits Russian Gazprom gas pipeline amid suspicions of sabotage

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An enormous explosion has hit one of Russia's major gas pipelines, sending
flames and smoke billowing into the sky above and prompting fears it was a
retribution attack for Vladimir Putin's continued invasion of Ukraine.

The fireball was visible for miles in every direction after hitting about
14 miles east of St Petersburg, the nation's second largest city and
Putin's hometown.

One source said: 'Everything is automatic there, and such explosions by
themselves, without external influence, are impossible.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11447127/Explosion-hits-Russian-gas-pipeline-amid-suspicions-sabotage-linked-Putins-war-Ukraine.html

The blast is believed to have hit the main gas pipeline belonging to
Gazprom Transgaz SPB, and could have potentially impacted up to one
million people.

Ambulances and emergency vehicles were rushing to the scene this
afternoon. Eyewitnesses reported intensive care vehicles also drove to the
site of the explosion.

It's understood investigators and forensic specialists were also at the
site of the explosion as they rush to determine the cause.

One working theory is that the explosion may have been linked to the war
in Ukraine.

Russia has deliberately targeted Ukraine's vital energy supply lines in
recent attacks which have been condemned around the world and left
millions of Ukrainians freezing as winter approaches.

And yesterday, a Swedish prosecutor said sabotage was behind the Nord
Stream pipeline blasts of September 26, sparking fears this explosion may
have been caused by people sympathetic with the plight of Ukraine.

Russia's defence ministry last month said British Royal Navy personnel
blew up the pipelines, a claim that London said was false and designed to
distract from Russian military failures in Ukraine.

The plant provides electrical and thermal energy to factories, residential
areas and public buildings in the northern part of the Vyborgsky and
Kalininsky districts of St. Petersburg, as well as the settlements of
Novoe Devyatkino and Murino, and the Vsevolozhsky district of the
Leningrad region.

Power officials were seeking alternative supplies at the power station
near St Petersburg, Putin's home city.

### - hmm, it's undoubtedly a pawn-takes-pawn/tit-for-tat move, what with
prolly more than 50% of ukraine's utilities currently knocked out and
harsh winter rapidly approaching... how russia replies to this latest move
is the question now on what is actually the new front/war of the pipelines
& energy supplies etc, the 2nd front (at least the one we know of, there's
others) being the grain shipments, which appears to have settled into some
kinda mutual agreement for the sake of the starving, but which still
negatively affects/influences western stock markets as the whole western
world slowly plunges into recession...

so where's it all gonna end huh? coz currently it's at stalemate!

russia now switching to an entirely 'defensive' game south of the dnipro
river (a natural border) thus taking everything back to more or less
exactly where things were 8 years ago, only more so! the same territory
they're defending being far larger than before + includes 4 more now
'annexed' areas... ukraine itself having been severely damaged/mauled in
the process + because of the war the russians can now just openly keep
lobbing heavy shit right at them from behind their lines and there's
basically fuck all they can do about it! (they might blow up
bridges/pipelines or whatever, in russia as above, but risk being
similarly severely punished in a series of escalating tit-for-tat moves -
they blew up that big bridge and russia responded by massively hitting
their power/water installations for the first time, something they hadn't
done before; severe punishment indeed...)

white is actually in real trouble here because everything's stalled?

i.e., 8 years ago there was basically fuck all either nato or ukraine
could do to the rebels in those same occupied areas (including annexed
crimea) to dislodge them or alter the stalemate... they attacked sometimes
along the borders but were always pushed back... the west sent weapons
which had little effect overall and thus a kinda stalemate prevailed for
the next 8 years...

and that's basically now more or less 'exactly' where we all are again...
today!

nada's actually changed! ukraine has taken a terrible beating though +
lost 4 more territories to annexation, and is almost on its knees in terms
of utilities facing a harsh winter! (if this keeps up there's gonna be
another exodus from ukraine into neighbouring states, an even bigger
one...) plus, by the time winter's over, the russians will have
established their new borders south of that river and there's NADA anyone
(or any nation) can then DO about it??? total stale-mate!

apart from attacking russia directly that is heh... (i know, i know, but
what other way is there out of it now??)

so would they REALLY do summat like that???

well maybe, if economies are actually failing, everyone's freezing &
starving etc as in ukraine currently; it might become their only/cheapest
option!?

else russia could potentially just sit there keeping this up for...
YEARS!!!

even make it worse for us if we piss them off any more!?

make no mistake: white's in real trouble here! they've no moves left?

and they's too proud to end the game by shaking hands in a draw!

so yes it 'could' happen...

if/when things gets desperate enough!

(any ideas? coz am fucked if'n can think of anything beyond just more
red/false flags and the west goes slowly bust over the next few years...)

anyway, it's black to move...