Russia: Disrepair or Sabotage at Southern Pipeline?

The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said an explosion hit one of the trunks of the Central Asian-Center natural gas pipeline in southern Russia's Volgograd region early Sept. 28. Giving no information on the cause of the explosion, Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kuprianov said simply, "It happens every once in a while, unfortunately." The pipeline could very well have been in disrepair, but it also could have been sabotaged. The Caucasian Mujahideen Chechen militant group recently said it would begin attacking pipelines; if the militants did perpetrate this incident, it would be their first action since militant leader Shamil Basayev died in July.