Ukrainian man arrested in Italy over involvement in Nord Stream pipelines blast

Italian police on Wednesday arrested a Ukrainian man allegedly involved in the 2022 detonation of the Nord Stream pipelines carrying gas from Russia to Germany. German authorities confirmed the arrest and stated that the man identified only as Serhiy K.

The authorities noted that the suspect is believed to have been on board the sailing boat from where the attack was allegedly carried out. Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office (GBA) stated on Thursday that Carabinieri arrested him on Wednesday evening near Rimini, following the issuance of a European arrest warrant on Monday.

The attack on the pipeline was carried out on September 26, 2022. While the gas pipeline was not in use, the damage to it was beyond repair. Investigators have long suspected Ukrainian commandos of being behind the blast.

How the Ukrainian man was involved

Divers were believed to have been taken there by the chartered sailing yacht Andromeda. The authorities noted that the yacht set off from the German port of Rostock to the area close to the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm, where they planted explosives on the seabed.

Serhiy K, the Ukrainian suspect, is thought to have been on board. However, the investigators do not believe that he was one of the divers; he is thought to have had a leading role as a coordinator of what appeared to have been a well-planned operation. The prosecutors noted that the yacht was hired with the help of intermediaries and using forged identity papers from a German company.

It is pertinent to note that the incident has been under investigation since 2022 by the GBA. The German authorities intend to charge any suspects with anti-constitutional sabotage and causing an explosion.

Meanwhile, an extensive media investigation, spearheaded by German news outlet Der Spiegel, revealed that people who allegedly had detailed knowledge of the incident said the commandos had not intended to commit a crime. Instead, they saw it as an attack on a legitimate military target due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Spiegel’s research revealed evidence suggesting the Ukrainian armed forces had sanctioned the action, although Kyiv has denied this. German prosecutors have not said when they expect Serhiy K to be extradited to face German authorities.

It is pertinent to note that separate investigations by the Swedish and Danish authorities were closed in February 2024, leaving German authorities to continue their inquiries alone. At one point, Russia went on to accuse the United States of conducting the Sabotage operation after Washington, DC, criticised Germany’s dependence on Russian gas.

Another initial strong assumption was that the perpetrators were Russian, but investigators traced the yacht and discovered its connection to Ukraine. Kyiv, Washington and Moscow all eventually denied allegations of involvement.

Last year, Germany’s federal prosecutor general, Jens Rommel, secured an initial arrest warrant against one of the suspected divers. However, the suspect left his home in Poland before he could be arrested after Polish authorities allegedly warned Ukrainian authorities. According to German news outlet Spiegel, the man has allegedly driven into Ukraine in a car with diplomatic licence plates.

With inputs from agencies.