Following leaks about Germany issuing an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian citizen involved in the explosion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline nearly two years ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's advisor has come forward denying any involvement. Mykhailo Podolyak confirmed that Ukraine was not involved in the explosions, directly or indirectly. He stated, "Such an act can only be carried out with a wide range of technical and financial capabilities. Who can possess such means under bombardment, undoubtedly, it is Russia."
This comes after the German public prosecutor's office issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian in connection with the sabotage of the gas pipelines in 2022, as reported by local media on Wednesday. It pointed out that the suspect, identified as “Volodymyr. Z”, who lived in Poland, was one of the divers who planted explosives on the famous gas lines. Meanwhile, the Polish public prosecutor's office clarified that it received an arrest warrant for Volodymyr from Germany, but the suspect left for Ukraine before he could be apprehended.
"With Zelensky’s knowledge?" This information emerged as shocking details about a meeting among Ukrainian officials to plan this sabotage were leaked, according to a report by the "Wall Street Journal". Sources revealed that senior Ukrainian officials first discussed the possibility of undermining these gas pipelines in May 2022. Ukrainian businessmen were supposed to finance the operation after reaching verbal agreements to leave no evidence of the plan.
The original plan included a cover operation using a small yacht carrying several divers, including a woman, to create the impression of a friendly maritime trip. Perhaps most alarming is that this operation was initially known to the Ukrainian president, before he later retracted when informed by the US Central Intelligence Agency, according to the leaked information.
It is noteworthy that four major gas leak sites were found in 2022 on the Nord Stream pipelines near Denmark’s Bornholm Island, after seismic institutes recorded two underwater explosions. The pipelines had been at the center of geopolitical tensions as Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in response to the Western sanctions imposed on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine. While the leaks occurred in international waters, two were in Denmark's exclusive economic zone and two in Sweden's. However, the pipelines were not in service when the leak occurred, although they contained gas that leaked into the water and air. Denmark, Sweden, and Germany launched investigations into the explosions, but Denmark and Sweden closed their investigations earlier this year.
