Germany has issued a European arrest warrant against a Ukrainian diving instructor who was allegedly part of a team that blew up Nord Stream gas pipelines, according to German media.
Police believe the man, last known to have lived in Poland, was one of the divers who allegedly planted explosive devices on pipelines running from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea in September 2022, the SZ and Die Zeit newspapers reported alongside the ARD broadcaster, citing unnamed sources.
The Polish national public prosecutor’s office confirmed a warrant had been issued for a Ukrainian citizen. However, it added he was not arrested in Poland as he fled to Ukraine in early July.
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Another man and a woman – also Ukrainian diving instructors – have been identified in the investigation but so far no arrest warrants have been issued for them, according to SZ, Zeit and ARD.
The German prosecutor general’s office declined to comment on the reports when approached by Reuters news agency.
A map showing the three gas leaks on Nord Stream 1 and 2
Almost two years on, it remains a mystery who was behind the explosions that destroyed three out of four pipelines that carries billions of cubic feet of gas to Europe.
Russia and the West both accused each other of being behind the blasts, which was denied by either side. No one has ever taken responsibility.
In November 2022, a Swedish probe found traces of explosives on several objects recovered from the explosion site, confirming the explosions were deliberate acts.
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In January 2023, Germany raided a ship that it said may have been used to transport explosives and told the United Nations that it believed trained divers could have attached devices to the pipelines at around 70 to 80 metres deep.
Intelligence reviewed by US officials indicated that a pro-Ukrainian group was behind the attack, the New York Times claimed in March last year. Despite the claim, there were no firm conclusions and no evidence that any Kyiv official or the president knew about the attack.
