Nord Stream: Arrest warrant for suspect from Ukraine

The trail to Ukraine in the case of sabotage on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 Baltic Sea gas pipelines has apparently been confirmed: according to media reports, the Federal Public Prosecutor General has obtained a first arrest warrant for a Ukrainian. However, the wanted man was apparently able to escape the investigators in Poland. For months beforehand, it looked as if the investigation might end without results.

Volodymyr Z. is suspected of being involved in the explosives attacks off the Danish island of Bornholm, according to various media reports. During the acts of sabotage in September 2022, the gas pipeline between Russia and Germany was severely damaged in several places. The attackers are said to have been traveling with the help of a sailing yacht rented in Germany. Divers attach explosive charges to the pipes of the pipelines.

Two other Ukrainians suspected

Two other Ukrainian nationals are also considered suspects, report ARD, Süddeutsche Zeitung and "Die Zeit". The suspicions were based on information from a foreign secret service. Clues had also emerged from the recording of a speed camera.

After the attack, prosecutors in Denmark, Sweden and Germany initially investigated independently of each other. Denmark and Sweden have since discontinued their proceedings. However, their findings are said to have been incorporated into the German proceedings at the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office. They are investigating on suspicion of "deliberately causing an explosive device to explode" and "anti-constitutional sabotage". However, in view of the ongoing investigations, the authorities have not yet disclosed any further details to the media or to politicians in the Bundestag.

Poland apparently not cooperating

The arrest warrant for Z. is said to have been issued back in June. However, the Polish authorities were apparently uncooperative. They let a set deadline for the execution of European arrest warrants pass. It is said that Poland had already made the investigation more difficult in advance. This could be due to the fact that Poland and other Eastern European countries saw the Nord Stream pipelines as an affront because they were used to bypass transit countries.

"Der Spiegel" even reports that Z. may have been warned according to security circles. He has apparently left Poland in the meantime. In a telephone conversation with ARD, SZ and "Die Zeit", the diving instructor expressed surprise at the allegations and denied them. The investigations to date are said to have revealed no direct connection to Ukrainian state agencies. This had previously been suspected by foreign intelligence services.

The failure of the Nord Stream pipelines accelerated the conversion of Europe's gas supply in 2022, which had already begun. While large quantities of natural gas had previously come from Russia, customers such as Germany were increasingly looking for new sources, for example through the construction of LNG terminals. Before the act of sabotage, Russia had already stopped its deliveries via Nord Stream 1. Although Nord Stream 2 had been completed, gas deliveries were no longer made due to increasing political differences.

(mki)