Poland received a European arrest warrant on Wednesday for a Ukrainian man suspected of involvement in the sabotage attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, a spokeswoman for the Polish Public Prosecutor’s Office told dpa.
The German order is the latest twist in a highly unusual case that has puzzled observers for almost two years. In September 2022, two pipelines from Russia to Germany were targeted by unknown perpetrators.
The suspect in the case is Volodymyr Z., a Ukrainian citizen who is believed to have left his home in Poland in July to return to Ukraine, the spokeswoman said.
He was not found during a search of his home in Poland, she said.
German newspapers Die Zeit and Süddeutsche Zeitung, along with public broadcaster ARD, previously reported that Germany’s top prosecutor had obtained an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian man believed to be in Poland.
“We do not comment on media reports,” said a spokeswoman for the Berlin Ministry of Justice. The German Public Prosecutor’s Office was initially unavailable for comment.
According to the investigation by the three media outlets, two other Ukrainian citizens are suspected of involvement in the attacks. They may have been divers who placed explosives in the pipelines.
Volodymyr Z is also believed to be a diver.
According to the media, their report was based on “information from a foreign intelligence service.”
There has been speculation for almost two years about the cause of the incident and who is responsible.
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were damaged by multiple explosions on September 26, 2022. The explosions were recorded near the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and four leaks were discovered in three of the four pipelines shortly afterwards.
Russian natural gas previously flowed to Germany via Nord Stream 1. A second pipeline, Nord Stream 2, was completed in 2021 but never entered service due to Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Authorities in several countries have launched investigations into the matter, but Denmark and Sweden have now closed their investigations.
Previous investigations focused on a sailing yacht on which traces of explosives were found in July 2023. It was suspected that the Andromeda may have been used to transport the explosives for the sabotage.
Germany: Support for Ukraine independent of investigation
Germany said on Wednesday it would continue to support Ukraine regardless of the outcome of the investigation.
Deputy government spokesman Wolfgang Büchner told journalists in Berlin that the investigation would not change “the fact that Russia is waging an illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.”
“The investigations are carried out in accordance with the law, independently of the person and completely independently,” said Büchner.
The investigation is a “top priority,” he added.
