Poland Arrests Ukrainian Diver Wanted In Germany Over Nord Stream Pipeline Blasts

A Ukrainian diver wanted by Germany over suspected involvement in the 2022 explosions of the Nord Stream gas pipelines has been arrested by Polish police, prosecutors and the suspect’s lawyer confirmed on Tuesday.

German authorities said the suspect, identified as Volodymyr Z., was detained in the early hours of Tuesday in a town near Warsaw under a European arrest warrant issued by Germany earlier this year.

According to German prosecutors, Volodymyr Z. is accused of being part of a group that rented a sailing yacht in Rostock, Germany, and planted explosives on Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near Denmark’s Bornholm Island in September 2022.

The explosions destroyed three of the four pipelines and cut a major Russian gas supply route to Europe, worsening an energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

German prosecutors said Volodymyr Z. took part in the diving operations required for the sabotage. He faces charges including conspiracy to commit an explosives attack, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of infrastructure.

Polish prosecutors confirmed proceedings have begun against Volodymyr Z. for executing the European arrest warrant. The Warsaw District Prosecutor’s office said he was a resident of Pruszkow, near Warsaw, though earlier attempts to locate him had failed.

Volodymyr Z.’s lawyer, Tymoteusz Paprocki, said his client denied the charges and would challenge extradition to Germany. Paprocki claimed the arrest was unlawful given Russia’s war in Ukraine, arguing that the Nord Stream pipelines involve Gazprom, which directly finances Russian military operations. He insisted his client “has done nothing wrong” and “pleads not guilty.”

This arrest follows a related detention last month in Italy, where police arrested another Ukrainian, identified as Serhii K., suspected of coordinating the Nord Stream attacks. Italian courts have approved his extradition to Germany, but his lawyer has appealed to Italy’s highest court.

According to German prosecutors, the suspects used forged documents and intermediaries to rent the yacht Andromeda, which sailed from Rostock into the Baltic Sea toward Bornholm. They said the group included divers, several of whom were reportedly linked to a private diving school in Kyiv. Germany has identified seven suspects in total, though one of them has since died.

The incident remains disputed. Russia accused the U.S., the U.K., and Ukraine of sabotage, but all three denied involvement. Ukraine also rejected any role.

Germany, Denmark, and Sweden launched joint investigations. Sweden confirmed the blasts were deliberate after finding explosives at the site, but Denmark and Sweden closed their probes in February without naming suspects.

Reference: Reuters

Source: Maritime Shipping News