German prosecutors have arrested a Ukrainian man, identified as Serhii K, in Italy on suspicion of involvement in the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. This incident occurred several months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Serhii K was apprehended in the province of Rimini and is alleged to be part of a group responsible for planting explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which run from Russia to Germany.
The investigation indicates that Serhii K may have played a key role in the operation, which reportedly involved chartering a yacht and departing from the German port of Rostock to carry out the attack. Ukraine has denied any involvement in the explosions, which disrupted a crucial source of natural gas for Europe.
Although Nord Stream 2 was never operational, Nord Stream 1, consisting of two pipelines, had supplied natural gas over a distance of 1,200 kilometers from the Russian coast to northeastern Germany. Prior to Russia’s invasion, Germany had halted the approval process for Nord Stream 2, which is wholly owned by Russian gas company Gazprom. Following this, Russia ceased operations on Nord Stream 1.
On September 26, 2022, multiple explosions occurred near the Danish island of Bornholm, damaging three out of the four pipelines. The identities of the perpetrators remained unclear initially, but reports from Germany suggested a team of Ukrainian divers may have engaged in the action. In August of last year, German authorities issued an arrest warrant for another suspect involved in the incident, a diver named Volodymyr Z.
German prosecutors stated that Serhii K is strongly suspected of causing an explosion and of participating in sabotage against the constitution. So far, no evidence has been found linking the attacks to either Ukraine, Russia, or any other state. Following his extradition from Italy, Serhii K is expected to appear before an investigating judge.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkz1jl5j06o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss