German authorities have issued an international arrest warrant for a Ukrainian man suspected of carrying out the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipeline two years ago, as reported by a source citing Polish prosecutors.
The explosions caused gas to billow from Nord Stream 1 and 2, major conduits transporting Russian gas to Europe, leading to a significant operation to identify those responsible.
The Polish National Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed receipt of the warrant for the suspect. However, the individual managed to leave Polish territory as he was not listed in the German authorities' database of wanted persons.
Reports from three German outlets indicated that the male diver, along with two other Ukrainian suspects, allegedly conducted an underwater attack on the pipeline from a sailing boat in September 2022, as believed by German federal prosecutors.
Following a joint investigation, it was revealed that the arrest warrant for the suspect was sent to the Polish government for approval in June. The Federal Public Prosecutor General of Germany declined to comment on the reports.
The explosions, which occurred seven months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, fueled political tensions in Europe. Investigators discovered evidence of explosives at the sites in November 2022, leading Swedish prosecutors to determine that the blasts were a result of sabotage.
According to German media reports, the crew of a sailing boat, including five men and one woman, allegedly sailed from Rostock, Germany, in September 2022, making stops in Denmark, Sweden, and Poland. During this voyage, the crew purportedly dived into the Baltic Sea and affixed explosives to the Nord Stream pipelines, causing them to detonate and damage both lines.
US officials had received intelligence from a European ally indicating that the Ukrainian military was planning an attack on the pipelines three months before the incidents. Intelligence reviewed by US officials suggested that a group loyal to Ukraine, but acting independently of the government in Kyiv, may have been involved in the operation.
Ukraine’s government has consistently denied any involvement in the explosions. The Nord Stream project had faced controversy prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with concerns raised by several Western countries, including Poland, about the potential increase in Moscow’s influence over Europe.
Despite initial support for the multimillion-dollar second pipeline, Germany ultimately halted the project after Russia’s invasion, just as it was nearing completion.
