Ukrainian man arrested in Italy during 2022 Sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines, German prosecutors say

Sedan – A Ukrainian suspect has been arrested in Italy by the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipes from Russia to Europe, German prosecutors said Thursday. The suspect, partially appointed as Serhii K., is accused of being part of a group “that placed explosive devices in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipes,” prosecutors said.

It “believes it was one of the coordinators of the operation,” they added.

The Nord Stream pipes that connect to Russia and Germany through the Baltic Sea were damaged in September 2022 by huge underwater explosions, which is believed to be an act of sabotage.

In the years elapsed since the mysterious explosions, Ukraine and Russia have vehemently denied any participation.

The German media have reported that the investigation pointed to a Ukrainian cell of five men and a woman who had rented the “Andromeda” yacht of the port of Rostock and carried out the attack.

Its objective was to destroy the pipes to prevent Battlefield Enemy Russia Of benefiting in the future of gas sales to Europe, according to Der Spiegel and other media.

Serhii K. was arrested in the early hours of Thursday in the Italian province of Rimini, German prosecutors said. He and his accomplices are accused of using a yacht that started from Rostock to carry out the attack, they said.

“The yacht had been previously rented from a German company with the help of counterfeit identity documents obtained through intermediaries,” they added.

The news of the arrest occurs approximately one year after the German media reported that a European arrest warrant for another Ukrainian man, a diving instructor whose last known direction was in Poland, in relation to the attack on the Nord Stream pipes had been requested.

The Polish prosecutor’s office told News in August 2024 that he had received the order for man – identified only as “Volodymyr Z.”. – A couple of months before “in relation to the procedures against him in Germany.”

The man went to Ukraine in early July 2024, before he could be arrested, said the prosecutor’s office at that time.

German researchers believe that Volodymyr Z. was one of the divers that Explosive devices planted in the pipesaccording to the broadcaster and newspapers ARD of Germany, Die Zeit and Suddeutsche Zeitung.

Two more Ukrainians, a man and a woman that prosecutors believe they acted as divers in the attacks and believe they are a married couple who runs a diving school in Ukraine, were also identified by researchers at least a year ago, according to Germany’s reports.

The arrest announced by the German authorities on Thursday was the first linked to the case.

• War
• Italy
• Ukraine
• Russia
• Germany
• Nord transmission pipe