Arrest Warrant Issued for Suspected Nord Stream Pipeline Saboteur
Almost two years after the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines were sabotaged on September 26, 2022, German authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a key suspect linked to the incident. The German prosecutor's office has identified Volodymyr Z, a Ukrainian national who resided in Poland, as a member of the group allegedly responsible for the explosion that disrupted the critical energy links between Russia and Germany.
A joint investigation conducted by several prominent German media outlets, including the public broadcaster ARD, the daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, and the weekly Die Zeit, unveiled the details on August 14. Despite the issuance of the arrest warrant, Volodymyr Z managed to evade capture, possibly due to insufficient action from Polish authorities to apprehend him prior to his departure for Ukraine.
In addition to Volodymyr Z, investigators have pointed to a married couple of Ukrainian nationality who reportedly formed part of the commando responsible for diving near the site of the explosion. This couple operates a diving school in Ukraine, and Volodymyr Z served as an instructor there. Notably, Svitlana U, the wife in the couple, is active in various Telegram groups that provide assistance to war refugees from Ukraine, including those located in Germany. In March 2022, she was reported to have initiated fundraising efforts through social media aimed at procuring advanced thermal imaging binoculars priced at €4,500, ostensibly for use by the Ukrainian military.
The investigation has progressed despite earlier closures by Swedish and Danish authorities without bringing anyone to prosecution. In a decision made earlier this year, German Attorney General Jens Rommel decided to carry on with the inquiry due to the accumulation of enough evidence. By early June, Rommel had issued a European arrest warrant for Volodymyr Z and solicited assistance from Polish authorities for his apprehension, with indications that Z was residing in the vicinity of Warsaw at the time.
Confirming the receipt of the warrant in June, the Polish prosecutor's office reported to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that they had been unable to detain the suspect before he fled to Ukraine. This latest development adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing investigation that has drawn international attention.
A significant detail in the investigation was the sighting of a white van on the island of Rügen in northern Germany prior to the explosions, which is believed to have been instrumental in identifying the suspect. Investigators suspect that this vehicle was utilized to transport diving gear, which was subsequently loaded onto a yacht named Andromeda for the team to reach the explosion site. When questioned by the German police, the driver of the van disclosed that he had transported a group of individuals from Ukraine into Germany and identified Volodymyr Z through photographs provided by the investigators.
As the investigation continues, analysts and news outlets are closely monitoring the developments, revealing intricate details about this high-stakes sabotage case that has implications for European energy security and geopolitics.
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