Blasts on Russian Gas Pipeline Hit Supplies to Georgia, Armenia

AFP: Two explosions have ripped through Russia's main natural gas supply pipeline to Armenia and Georgia, halting supplies at a time of freezing temperatures and sparking accusations of sabotage from Georgian President Mikhael Saakashvili.

The explosions occurred on the main branch and a reserve branch of the Mozdok-Tbilisi pipeline close to the border with Georgia in the early hours of Sunday morning, Russian officials said.

Following initial investigation at the site in the Russian province of North Ossetia, investigators are treating the incident as sabotage, but not terrorism, said a spokesman for Russia's deputy prosecutor general.

"An expert group is working at the site. According to preliminary information they have already found the remains of improvised explosive devices. If this explanation is confirmed then we are talking about sabotage," said the spokesman, Sergei Prokopov.

A criminal case of causing intentional damage to property has been opened, Prokopov told AFP.

Other officials said it could take up to four days to prepare the damage due to the difficult mountain conditions.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili meanwhile accused Russia of being behind the blasts, which Georgian officials said could leave households without gas as soon as Sunday evening.

"The explanation we have received from the Russian side is absolutely inadequate and contradictory. ... Georgia has been subjected to serious sabotage from the side of the Russian Federation," Saakashvili said in a live television broadcast.

"We have long heard threats from Russian politicians that we could be left without light and gas ... and now this has happened, when Georgia is experiencing its coldest winter," Saakashvili said.

Meanwhile Georgia's deputy energy minister, Aleko Khetagurov, said a main electricity supply line from Russia had also failed around the same time as the gas pipeline explosions.

"The import of gas has been completely halted.... Talks are under way on supplies of gas from Azerbaijan and Iran, but this will take several days," Khetagurov said.

Both Armenia and Georgia are experiencing cold winters, with temperatures in Georgia expected to fall as low as minus four degrees Celsius (25 degrees Fahrenheit) in the coming days.

In the mountain republic of Armenia, officials from the gas distribution utility Armrosgazprom called on the population to conserve supplies and said they were cutting supplies to non-essential consumers.

"We've started using gas from storage facilities. Due to this Armrosgazprom calls on the population to use gas economically and if necessary to use alternative sources of warmth," the company's spokeswoman, Shushan Sardaryan, told AFP.

Georgia's relations with Moscow have been tense since Saakashvili was swept to power by a "rose revolution" in late 2003 and promised integration with the West, including a bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ( NATO).

In his comments on Sunday, Saakashvili said the gas cut-off was linked to Russia's decision to nearly double the price it charges Georgia for natural gas from January 1 to 110 dollars (91 euros) per 1,000 cubic meters.

That move is part of a major rise in the gas prices Russia charges several former Soviet republics that long received discounts on gas from Moscow.

Russia's relations with Armenia have also come under unusual strain recently as Moscow has raised the price of gas it supplies to Armenia, a long-time ally.

Armenian President Robert Kocharian was scheduled to arrive in Moscow later Sunday to open an Armenian-Russian cultural event and hold talks with President.