Ukrainian Man Suspected Of Damaging Nord Stream Pipelines Placed Under Custody In Germany

A man from Ukraine who is suspected of setting off blasts which damaged Nord Stream pipelines more than 3 years ago has been placed in custody, per sources.

The offshore pipelines run under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, providing Western Europe with natural gas.

The 49-year-old Ukrainian, Serhii Kuznietsov, was ordered to be held in custody after a judge at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe issued an arrest warrant under his name.

The explosions on September 26, 2022, added to the tensions between Russia and Ukraine at that time.

Per prosecutors in Germany, Kuznietsov was one among a group of people who kept the explosives on the pipelines.

He is also suspected of being the coordinator, causing the blasts, anti-constitutional sabotage and destroying vital structures.

It is said that he and his accomplices used a yacht which sailed from Germany’s Rostock Port. It was hired from a German Company, using fake IDs with the help of intermediaries.

The man has denied any involvement in the blasts and said he was in Ukraine, serving as an army captain when the incident occurred.

He came to Germany after the highest Italian court approved his extradition on November 19.

He was detained on an arrest warrant at a campground close to the Adriatic city of Rimini, Italy, where he was spending holidays with his family.

A Polish judge has said that the explosions should be seen as military action in a ‘just war’ and should not be seen as the act of an individual.

However, the Italian Court, which decided on the extradition of Kuznietsov, did not accept this argument.

Source: Maritime Shipping News