The German public prosecutor has issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian in connection with the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022, according to German media reports. According to the ARD channel and the newspapers Die Zeit and Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany has requested a European arrest warrant for the individual, whose last known address was in Poland. They stated that it is still unclear why Polish authorities were unable to arrest the suspect, and it is now believed that the man has fled.
German investigators believe that the Ukrainian, identified as Volodymyr Z., was one of the divers who planted explosives on the Nord Stream pipelines, according to media reports. The federal prosecutor's office declined to comment when contacted by AFP.
Four major gas leaks were discovered in September 2022 on the Nord Stream pipelines off the coast of Denmark's Bornholm Island after seismic institutes recorded two underwater explosions. The pipelines were at the center of geopolitical tension as Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in response to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine. While the leaks occurred in international waters, two were in Denmark's exclusive economic zone and two in Sweden's.
The pipelines were not operational when the leaks occurred but contained gas that seeped into the water and atmosphere. Denmark, Sweden, and Germany opened investigations into the explosions. However, Denmark and Sweden closed their investigations earlier this year, while Russian authorities accused the U.S. and Ukraine of being behind the incidents.
