BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday denied Moscow was responsible for a rupture on a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea, calling the accusation "complete nonsense."

Helsinki has said it believes last weekend's leak on the Balticconnector gas pipeline was caused by "external" activity, sparking suspicions of Russian involvement.

"That's complete nonsense," Putin told journalists on a trip to Kyrgyzstan.

"To be honest, I didn't even know this pipeline existed because it's small in volume," he added.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization members Finland and Estonia are investigating the incident on the pipeline and have cautioned against jumping to conclusions before the official results.

Finnish defense minister Antti Hakkanen told Agence France-Presse on Thursday that Helsinki's investigation should yield answers on the cause within weeks.