A Ukrainian man suspected of involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline blasts has been arrested in Italy, German authorities confirmed on Thursday. Serhiy K was detained by Italian police near Rimini on Wednesday evening following a European arrest warrant issued on Monday.
The 26 September 2022 explosions damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which run from Russia to Germany, apparently beyond repair. Investigators believe Serhiy K was on board the sailing yacht Andromeda, which was chartered from Rostock and used to transport divers to the area near the Danish island of Bornholm, where explosives were planted on the sea bed.
German prosecutors do not think Serhiy K was one of the divers but suspect he played a leading coordinating role in what appears to have been a well-planned operation. The yacht was reportedly hired using forged identity papers and intermediaries. The German Federal Prosecutor's Office intends to charge suspects with anti-constitutional sabotage and causing an explosion.
The attack has been under investigation since 2022. German media reports, including from Der Spiegel, suggested the operation may have been sanctioned by Ukrainian armed forces, though Kyiv denies this. Swedish and Danish authorities closed their probes in February 2024, leaving Germany to continue alone. Russia previously accused the US of orchestrating the sabotage.
German authorities have not yet set a date for extradition. This arrest follows a previous warrant for one of the suspected divers, who reportedly fled to Ukraine from Poland after Polish authorities allegedly tipped off Ukrainian officials.
