Germany is seeking the extradition of a Ukrainian man arrested in Poland on suspicion of involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions. The man, identified as Volodymyr Z in Polish media and Vladimir Z by German authorities, is a trained diver believed to have planted explosives on the pipelines.
The suspect was detained near Warsaw under a European arrest warrant issued by Germany. His lawyer, Tymoteusz Paprocki, confirmed the arrest to Polish broadcaster TVN24, stating that his client faces allegations related to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline attack.
German investigators allege that the man was part of a group that used a sailing yacht rented from a German company with forged documents. The group departed from Rostock, Germany, and placed explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022.
The explosions on 26 September 2022 damaged three of the four pipelines, which were built to transport Russian natural gas to Germany. The incident exacerbated tensions during the Ukraine war and worsened Europe's energy crisis as countries sought to reduce reliance on Russian supplies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied any government involvement in the attack. The Kremlin, however, has blamed Kyiv and expressed hope that Germany will complete its investigation. German prosecutors have identified a group of five men and a woman as suspects, with another Ukrainian, Serhii Kuznietsov, already arrested in Italy on similar charges.
If extradited, the suspect will appear before a judge at the federal court in Karlsruhe. The case poses diplomatic challenges, as Germany has supported Ukraine with weapons and aid against Russian aggression.
