A Ukrainian citizen has been arrested in Italy, suspected of having coordinated the attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022, writes Reuters.
The information about the arrest comes from the German prosecutor’s office on Thursday, which describes the case as a breakthrough in the investigation into the spectacular explosions in the Baltic Sea.
The attacks destroyed three out of four pipelines that transported gas from Russia to Europe and were considered sabotage by both Western countries and Moscow. The incident heightened tensions between Russia and the West in the midst of the Ukraine war and created uncertainty about Europe’s energy supply.
The arrested individual, who in Germany is only identified as Serhii K., is believed to have been part of a group that placed explosives on the pipelines near Bornholm in September 2022. According to the prosecutor’s office, the group sailed out from Rostock on a chartered sailboat, where the charter was obtained using false documents and an intermediary.
“The bombing of the pipelines must be investigated, also through criminal prosecution. That is why it is good that we are making progress in this case,” says the German Minister of Justice, Stefanie Hubig in a comment.
The arrest took place in the Rimini province on Italy’s Adriatic coast, where the Italian Carabinieri acted based on a European arrest warrant. The suspect faces charges of complicity in explosion, anti-constitutional sabotage and destruction of critical infrastructure.
Ukraine has previously denied any responsibility for the attack, and there is still no official comment from the country’s embassy.
-emte
