- Where's the dive instructor?
Slowly, the mystery surrounding the blown-up Nord Stream pipelines is unraveling – even if German investigators have suffered a setback. The General Prosecutor's Office in Poland has confirmed investigations by "Zeit", ARD, and "Süddeutsche Zeitung" that there is a European arrest warrant out for a Ukrainian man who was last living in Poland. However, investigators did not find him at his residence, a spokesperson for the Polish Prosecutor General's Office said. "He crossed the border between Poland and Ukraine at the beginning of July."
Wanted: Wolodymyr Z., Diving Instructor
The man is believed to be Wolodymyr Z., a diving instructor. According to the spokesperson, he was able to leave unobstructed because the German side had not entered him into the Schengen register, where those with European arrest warrants are listed. "The Polish border guard had neither the information nor the basis to detain Z., as he was not listed as a wanted person," the spokesperson said.
Investigations reported by "Die Zeit" and "Der Spiegel" suggest that Z. was caught on camera in a white Citroën on Rügen two weeks before the explosion in the Baltic Sea. The same man is said to have been recognized by witnesses as part of a group that was brought from Ukraine to Poland to Germany – and is believed to be the suspected sabotage team.
Two more Ukrainians under suspicion
Two more Ukrainian citizens, including a woman, are also under suspicion, according to media reports. At the time of the incident, six men and one woman were reportedly on board a yacht from which the attack was carried out. They could have placed the explosive devices on the pipelines as divers. The published information is also based on "hints from a foreign intelligence service."
The Nord Stream pipelines, which run from Wyborg and Ust-Luga in Russia under the Baltic Sea and end in Lubmin near Greifswald, were blown up on September 26, 2022. Three of the four pipes were damaged, and the fourth was shut down. The controversial gas pipeline has been idle since then. Almost all Baltic Sea coastal countries, as well as Ukraine, France, and the USA, had sharply criticized the pipeline for strengthening Europe's energy dependence on Russia.
Z. – a hero in Poland?
Therefore, there was little interest in Poland and Ukraine in investigating the attack on the energy route. "In Poland, the construction of the Nord Stream pipelines was seen as a sin, and a suspected saboteur like Wolodymyr Z. would be seen as a hero from that perspective, as Polish politicians have repeatedly expressed behind closed doors," the "Zeit" writes about the slow investigation.
As of the current status, the sailing yacht "Andromeda" set sail from the Rostock harbor for the sabotage action in early September 2022, with Z. likely on board. The entire trip took place via Rügen, Bornholm, the Danish Christiansø, Sandhamn in Sweden, and the Polish Kolobrzeg back to Rostock. The explosive devices were placed 12 nautical miles south of the island of Bornholm at a depth of 80 meters. Residues of explosives were found on board the "Andromeda."
Denmark and Sweden have stopped their investigations.
After the incident, the question arose quickly: how were the explosive charges attached to damage the pipelines' lines? Experts considered it possible that trained divers could have placed explosive devices at the sites. Authorities from multiple countries launched investigations following the attack. However, Denmark and Sweden have since discontinued their proceedings.
Russia, also suspected as the mastermind behind the attack, criticized the discontinuation of investigations in Denmark and Sweden. "The decision is telling, and it's telling how the investigations were concluded," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov in February of this year. Russia was not granted access to the investigation results, and now the case is simply being closed.
- Despite the General Prosecutor's Office in Poland confirming a European arrest warrant for Wolodymyr Z., a diving instructor believed to be linked to the Nord Stream pipeline explosion, The Commission has not yet issued any official statements regarding the investigation or extradition process.
- In the wake of the Nord Stream pipeline explosion, several European countries, including Denmark and Sweden, have closed their investigations, raising questions about the transparency and thoroughness of the probe, as urged by Russia's Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov.
