Authorities in Germany have issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian man suspected of being involved in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The suspect is believed to have been part of a diving team that planted explosives on the pipelines, which were damaged in September 2022.
A diving instructor, identified only as Volodymyr Z, allegedly dove 80 meters to place the explosives that caused four gas leaks in the pipelines, rendering them inoperable, according to The Guardian. The Nord Stream pipelines, which transport gas from Russia to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea, were critically damaged at a time when European countries were seeking to reduce their reliance on Russian energy due to Russia's war against Ukraine.
The explosion also damaged the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which had not yet become operational as Germany had suspended its certification process when the war began.
The suspect is believed to have lived in Poland. German authorities requested his arrest in June, but he reportedly went into hiding. On Wednesday, Polish authorities confirmed that they had received a European arrest warrant for Volodymyr Z. However, the Polish public prosecutor’s office stated that “Ultimately, Volodymyr Z was not detained, as he left the territory of Poland at the beginning of July this year, crossing the Polish-Ukrainian border.”
There is currently no reported evidence linking Volodymyr Z to the Ukrainian government. Russia had previously accused the US of being behind the explosion, a claim the US has denied. In March 2023, German media reported that a pro-Ukrainian group was responsible for the attack, though the Ukrainian government denied any involvement.
