BERLIN — German prosecutors announced Thursday the arrest of a Ukrainian national suspected of helping coordinate the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
The federal prosecutor general said Italian police detained Serhii K. overnight in Rimini using a European arrest warrant. He is accused of being one of the organizers of an operation that placed explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022.
The blasts caused massive gas leaks and severely damaged both pipelines, cutting a crucial energy link between Russia and Europe.
Investigators believe the group used a yacht rented from the German port of Rostock under false identities to transport explosives to the site. Traces of the military-grade explosive octogen were later discovered on board.
According to German authorities, Serhii K. was “urgently suspected” of coordinating the attack alongside others. He faces charges of causing an explosion, committing anti-constitutional sabotage, and destroying infrastructure.
The arrest marks a breakthrough in a complex investigation that has stretched across several countries. Sweden and Denmark closed their probes without naming suspects earlier this year, while Germany pressed ahead with its case, focusing on a small team of divers and support staff thought to have carried out the mission. Reports from Western officials have pointed to possible links with Ukrainian networks, though Kyiv has consistently denied any involvement.
The suspect will be transferred to Germany to face a federal judge in Karlsruhe.
The post Italy arrests Ukrainian suspect in Nord Stream sabotage case, German authorities say appeared first on Politico.
