Officials in Italy have arrested a Ukrainian man for allegedly providing help in carrying out the 2022 attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, German prosecutors said Thursday. Experts suggest the arrest is a key step in probing the attack which became a bone of contention between the West and Russia.
The explosions badly damaged three pipelines that carried Russian gas to Europe. Both Moscow and Western countries called it sabotage. The explosions stopped the energy supplies to Europe and worsened the conflict in Europe. However, no group came forward and accepted responsibility.
Ukraine’s Longstanding Opposition to Nord Stream
The arrest comes as Ukraine holds difficult talks with the United States on how to end the war without losing large parts of its territory to Russia. For many years, Ukrainian leaders viewed the Nord Stream pipelines as a tool that gave Moscow dangerous control over Europe’s energy supply. Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Kyiv had argued the pipelines tied Europe too closely to Russian gas.
Russia launched its full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, sparking the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. Analysts estimate more than one million people have been killed or injured.
German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig welcomed the arrest, saying, “The pipeline bombing must be fully investigated, including through criminal prosecution. It is good that progress is being made.”
Ukraine Denies Any Role in Nord Stream Explosions
A Ukrainian presidential official said he could not comment yet, noting it was unclear who had been detained. He claimed that Kyiv has no any role in the Nord Stream blasts.
Identified as Serhii K., the suspect is accused of being a part of a group that allegedly planted explosives on the pipelines near Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea.
Officials noted that the group had started their journey from Rostock, a port city in Germany. They used a rented yacht, which was booked through a German company with fake IDs and middlemen.
The 49-year-old man was arrested by the Italian police on Adriatic coast, overnight in Rimini.
Serhii K., was nabbed under European arrest warrant, and will now deal with charges of causing explosion, destroying key infrastructure, and anti-constitutional sabotage.
