- Ukrainian wanted on warrant for North Stream attack
The Federal Prosecutor is seeking, in the case of the alleged sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines nearly two years ago, a Ukrainian citizen who is believed to have fled from Poland to his home country. The Polish prosecutor's office has received a European arrest warrant from the Federal Prosecutor's Office for the arrest of a suspect, a spokesperson for the General Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw told the German Press Agency.
The suspect is said to be Wolodymyr Z., a Ukrainian citizen who was last staying in Poland. However, the investigators did not find him at his place of residence, the spokesperson said. She added: "The man crossed the border between Poland and Ukraine at the beginning of July." According to "Tagesschau", the German investigators approached the Polish authorities with a European arrest warrant in June.
Three suspects are said to be divers
"The Time", "Süddeutsche Zeitung" and ARD reported that the man, along with two other Ukrainian citizens - a man and a woman - are suspected of involvement in the attacks. They are said to have attached explosive devices to the pipelines as divers. The information now published is also based on "hints from a foreign intelligence service". The Federal Prosecutor's Office declined to comment on the media reports on request.
Several explosions damaged and interrupted the two gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2 at the end of September 2022. The explosions were registered near the Danish Baltic Sea island of Bornholm. Shortly afterwards, four leaks were discovered on three of the four lines of the Nord Stream pipelines. Previously, Russian natural gas flowed through Nord Stream 1 to Germany. Nord Stream 2 was not yet in operation due to the Russian attack on Ukraine and the subsequent political disputes.
No entry in Schengen list of wanted persons
It is possible that the suspect was able to leave because there was no entry in the Schengen register, in which those sought with a European arrest warrant are listed, the spokesperson for the General Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw said. She added: "Wolodymyr Z. crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border before the arrest could take place, and the Polish border guard had neither the information nor the basis to arrest him, as he was not listed as a wanted person."
Previous investigations had focused on a sailing yacht on which explosives were found in July 2023. It was suspected that the "Andromeda" may have been used for the transport of explosives. According to reports, the investigators assume that the sabotage command consisted of five men and a woman on board the boat, which was rented out under forged papers.
Only Germany is still investigating
After the incident, the question quickly arose as to how the explosive charges could have been attached to damage the pipelines. Experts considered it likely that trained divers could have attached explosive devices to the locations. According to media reports, the Ukrainian suspect sought under arrest warrant is said to be a diving instructor. The authorities of several countries had initiated investigations after the attack. Denmark and Sweden have since discontinued the proceedings.
For a long time, there were various speculations about the perpetrators and masterminds. For months, only a small circle of people within the federal government and the involved authorities knew the current status of the investigations. This might also be due to the fact that the case is politically sensitive. After all, the Nord Stream 2 project was controversial from the start. Poland had already rejected the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was supposed to supply gas from Russia directly to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, even before Russia's attack in February 2022.
Federal Government Emphasizes Support for Ukraine
The investigations by the Federal Prosecutor General into the attack will have no impact on Germany's support for Ukraine, emphasized the deputy government spokesman, Wolfgang Büchner, in response to journalists' questions in Berlin. He stated, "investigations are being conducted according to the law and without regard to person or the outcome of such investigations." He added that the investigations "do not change the fact that Russia is conducting a violation of international law against Ukraine."
The clarification of the sabotage act is a top priority for the federal government, said Büchner. He declined to evaluate whether the Polish authorities are cooperating sufficiently.
The European arrest warrant issued by the Federal Prosecutor's Office is for a suspect associated with the alleged sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, specifically a Ukrainian citizen named Wolodymyr Z. The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines involved several explosions that damaged and interrupted both Nord Stream 1 and 2 in September 2022.
