Germany Issues Arrest Warrant for Ukrainian Diver Linked to Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage
Germany has issued a European arrest warrant for a Ukrainian diving instructor who is allegedly connected to the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, according to a report published by three German media outlets on Wednesday. Investigators believe that the individual, who was last known to reside in Poland, was involved in a team that planted explosives on the pipelines running from Russia to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea in September 2022.
The reports by the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) and Die Zeit newspapers, along with the ARD broadcaster, cited unnamed sources in confirming the warrant. The German prosecutor general's office has opted not to comment on the matter. As of June, German authorities had requested Poland to detain the suspect. However, the Polish public prosecutors’ office has not released any immediate statements regarding the request.
Recent updates indicate that the suspect is believed to have left Poland, according to information from the Spiegel news magazine, citing security sources. Additionally, two other Ukrainian diving instructors have been identified in Germany's ongoing investigation into the incident, although there have been no arrest warrants issued for them thus far.
The explosions that destroyed three of the four Nord Stream pipelines have remained shrouded in mystery. This incident occurred amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Both Russia and Western powers have traded accusations regarding the responsibility for the sabotage, but each side has denied involvement.
Further investigations, including those carried out by Swedish authorities, have found traces of explosives on various objects recovered from the blast site, confirming that the explosions were deliberate acts. In January 2023, German prosecutors conducted a raid on a ship suspected of being used to transport explosives, asserting that trained divers could have attached the devices to the pipelines while diving at depths of around 70 to 80 meters.
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