Polish Court Extends Custody Of Ukrainian Diver In Nord Stream Sabotage Probe

A Polish court has extended the detention of a Ukrainian diver wanted by Germany over suspected involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.

The court ordered on Monday that Volodymyr Z. remain in custody for an additional 40 days while a decision is made on whether to extradite him to Germany under a European arrest warrant.

Volodymyr Z. was arrested near Warsaw last Tuesday. Initially, Polish authorities had ordered a seven-day detention while examining Germany’s request. The extension keeps him in custody as investigations proceed.

German security services have charged the diver with sabotage, alleging he played a role in the underwater explosions that damaged the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

The blasts destroyed three of four pipelines in the system, which had a total capacity of 110 billion cubic metres of gas per year. At the time, all pipelines were inactive due to political disputes between Germany and Russia linked to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Poland and Ukraine had opposed the construction of Nord Stream 1 and 2 from the start, citing security concerns. Both governments argued the subsea pipelines bypassed onshore routes through their territories, giving Russia uninterrupted access to deliver gas to Germany even during conflict. The sabotage has made it difficult to restore the pipelines’ capacity.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Warsaw is unlikely to extradite the diver involved. Speaking to Polsat News, he said the focus should be on the decision to build Nord Stream 2, not the sabotage.

He emphasised that Russia, with financial support from certain European countries and companies in Germany and the Netherlands, had constructed the pipeline against the strategic interests of Poland, Ukraine and Europe.

Tusk’s remarks have been interpreted as criticism of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who approved Nord Stream 2 despite opposition from several EU states.

Merkel recently said that some Baltic states, including Poland, had resisted her proposal for direct EU talks with Russia before the Ukraine conflict.

Reference: Reuters

Source: Maritime Shipping News