Ukrainian arrested for suspected involvement in Nord Stream attacks
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German prosecutors say Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Z., detained in Poland, is suspected of involvement in planting explosives on the Nord Stream pipelines near Bornholm Island in 2022.
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In this picture provided by the Swedish Coast Guard, the gas leak in the Baltic Sea from Nord Stream is photographed from the Coast Guard's aircraft on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2022. (AP)
German prosecutors have announced that a Ukrainian citizen, identified as Volodymyr Z., has been detained in Poland on suspicion of involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The arrest was made at the request of German authorities.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the German Prosecutor General's office, Volodymyr Z. is believed to have taken part in a coordinated operation to plant explosives on both the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near Bornholm Island in September 2022.
“The arrest warrant primarily accuses him of the following: Volodymyr Z. is a trained diver. He was part of a group of individuals who planted explosive devices on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines near Bornholm Island in September 2022. The accused participated in the diving operations necessary for this,” the statement read.
The German authorities allege that Volodymyr Z. played a direct role in executing the underwater operation that led to one of the most serious infrastructure attacks in Europe in recent years.
Polish media reported earlier on Tuesday that the Ukrainian national was apprehended based on a European arrest warrant issued by Germany. His detention marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the Nord Stream bombing, which disrupted major gas routes between Russia and Europe.
All roads lead to Kiev?
Previous reports and investigations have also pointed to Kiev regarding the Nord Stream attacks.
In August 2024, Petr Pavel, the president of the Czech Republic, stated that the Nord Stream pipelines were a "legitimate target" for Ukraine during its war with Russia. He has simultaneously made it clear that he lacked evidence to support his claim that Kiev was indeed responsible for the attack on the energy infrastructure.
Speaking to the media outlet Novinky.cz, Pavel was asked to respond to The Wall Street Journal article that implied Kiev was responsible for the September 2022 explosions that destroyed the pipelines used to transport Russian gas to Germany and the rest of Western Europe.
The sources for The Wall Street Journal claimed that although Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky had originally given his approval for the strike, he later attempted to cancel it due to pressure from the CIA. However, the operation was carried out nonetheless by Valery Zaluzhny, the country's military commander at the time.
Pavel, a former NATO general, said that if the sabotage “was aimed at cutting off gas and oil supplies to Europe and [the flow of] money back to Russia, then... it would be a legitimate target,” adding, "Pipelines have always been and will always be targets because they have the potential to influence the conflict in one direction or the other."
Read more: Slovak PM slams media for ignoring Ukraine role in Nord Stream attack
