Germany Issues Arrest Warrant for Ukrainian Diver in Nord Stream Explosion Investigation

A report published by three German media outlets today, Wednesday, states that Germany has issued a European arrest warrant for a Ukrainian diving instructor believed to have been part of the team that executed the explosions of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. According to reports from "Süddeutsche Zeitung" and "Die Zeit," along with the German Broadcasting Corporation (ARD), citing unnamed sources, German investigators believe that the man, whose last known residence was Poland, was one of the divers who planted explosives on the pipelines running from Russia to Germany in September 2022. The German public prosecutor's office declined to comment on the report. The report noted that Germany requested Poland to arrest the man in June. No comment has been issued yet by the Polish prosecutor's office. "Der Spiegel" magazine, citing security sources, reported today that the suspect is believed to have left Poland since then. Media reports also indicated that another man and a woman, also Ukrainian diving instructors, are suspected of involvement in the sabotage, but no arrest warrants have been issued for them yet. It remains unclear who is responsible for the explosions that destroyed three out of four pipelines, which have become a controversial symbol of Germany's dependence on Russian gas following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia and the West have exchanged blame for the explosions, with both sides denying responsibility and no party claiming accountability.