In a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the explosive damage done to the Nord Stream gas pipelines, a Ukrainian man was arrested in Italy. The man, referred to as Serhii K, was apprehended in Rimini and is alleged to have participated in a plot that targeted the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, critical conduits for Russian gas to Germany.
German federal prosecutors assert that Serhii K was involved in planning the operation, which reportedly included chartering a yacht from the German port of Rostock to carry out the attack. The incident occurred months following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Despite Ukraine's denial of any involvement in the blasts, which significantly affected Europe's energy supply, German reports last year hinted at a Ukrainian team using a German yacht for the operation.
The Nord Stream pipelines, which stretch approximately 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) under the Baltic Sea, had supplied Europe with natural gas, although Nord Stream 2 never became operational after Germany halted its approval process just before Russia's invasion. Following the invasion, Russia closed Nord Stream 1, and then on September 26, 2022, multiple explosions were detected near the Danish island of Bornholm, causing damage to three of the four pipelines.
Amid the ongoing investigations, German prosecutors had previously issued arrest warrants for additional suspects linked to the sabotage, including a diver named Volodymyr Z. Following Serhii K's arrest, he is expected to be extradited to Germany and brought before an investigating judge, as he is "strongly suspected" of causing explosions and engaging in sabotage against the state.
Current evidence does not conclusively connect any nation, including Ukraine or Russia, to the attacks, leaving the situation clouded in mystery and underscoring the complexities of geopolitical tensions in the region.
