Key points
- Thousands of homes were left without power
- The Kremlin has denied any involvement in sabotage operations
- Scotland Yard’s Counter-Terrorism Command is leading the investigation
ISLAMABAD: Counter-terrorism police are now heading the investigation into a fire at an electrical substation that has caused the closure of London Heathrow Airport for the entire day, amid suggestions it could be a Russian sabotage attack linked to Vladimir Putin’s ongoing campaign of disruption.
More than 1,300 flights to and from the UK’s busiest airport were affected today due to the closure following a blaze at the nearby North Hyde electrical substation, according to the Daily Mail.
Thousands of homes were left without power, and more than 100 people were evacuated after a transformer at the substation caught fire, accompanied by a loud explosion.
Western officials have accused Russia and its allies of carrying out numerous attacks and other incidents across Europe since the invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
Kremlin’s denial
They claim that this campaign of disruption is an extension of President Putin’s war, aimed at sowing division within European societies and weakening support for Ukraine, although the Kremlin has denied any involvement in sabotage operations against the West.
Earlier this week, Putin agreed to a limited ceasefire, halting Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure following a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump.
Now, experts are examining whether Russia could be linked to the fire at the UK substation, which is affecting 679 incoming flights and 678 departures at Heathrow, according to the New York Post.
Scotland Yard’s Counter-Terrorism Command is leading the investigation due to the need for a swift determination of whether sabotage was involved and the security concerns raised by how a single fire could bring down a major piece of infrastructure.
