WARSAW: A Ukrainian diver sought by Germany for his alleged role in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions has been detained in Poland.
German prosecutors and the suspect’s lawyer confirmed the arrest on Tuesday following a European arrest warrant.
Germany’s top prosecutors’ office stated that Polish police acted upon their warrant for Volodymyr Z.
The qualified diver is suspected of being part of a group that rented a sailing yacht from Rostock to plant explosives on the pipelines.
He faces charges of conspiring to commit an explosives attack and anti-constitutional sabotage.
His lawyer Tymoteusz Paprocki confirmed the detention occurred in a town near Warsaw.
“My client has done nothing wrong and pleads not guilty,“ Paprocki said in a statement.
The defence will fight against his transfer to Germany, arguing the arrest warrant is inadmissible during Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Paprocki noted the attack concerned Gazprom, which directly finances military operations in Ukraine.
If extradited, Volodymyr Z. would appear before an investigating judge at Germany’s Federal Court.
Italian police arrested another Ukrainian man, Serhii K., in August for allegedly coordinating the attacks.
Serhii K. plans to appeal his extradition to Italy’s highest court after a lower court approved his transfer to Germany.
The explosions destroyed three of four Nord Stream pipelines, which symbolised German reliance on Russian gas.
Russia blamed the United States, Britain, and Ukraine for the blasts that severed Russian gas supplies to Europe.
All three countries have denied any involvement in the pipeline sabotage.
Germany, Denmark, and Sweden all launched investigations into the September 2022 incident.
Swedish investigators confirmed the blasts were deliberate after finding explosives on objects from the site.
Both Swedish and Danish investigations closed in February without identifying any suspects. – Reuters
