BERLIN — German prosecutors have issued a first arrest warrant in their investigation into the 2022 underwater explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany, according to a media report on Wednesday. German authorities declined to comment.
German public broadcaster ARD, daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung and weekly Die Zeit said in a joint report that federal prosecutors in June obtained an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian man believed to have until recently resided in Poland. The reports, which did not cite sources, identified the man as Wolodymyr Z.
The federal prosecutor’s office said it does not comment on media reports or arrest warrants.
The explosions on September 26, 2022 damaged gas pipelines, which were built to transport Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The damage increased tensions on the war in ukraine as European countries attempted to disconnect from Russian energy sources. Who was responsible for the sabotage? remains a mystery and researchers have remained silent about their findings until now.
Swedish and Danish Authorities closed their investigations in February, leaving German prosecutors’ case as the only investigation.
The explosions occurred as Europe attempted to disconnect from Russian energy sources following the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They broke the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, which was the main natural gas supply route from Russia to Germany to Russia. cut supplies at the end of August 2022.
They also damaged the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which never entered service because Germany suspended its certification process shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in February of that year.
Russia has accused the United States of organizing the explosions, a charge Washington denies. The pipelines were long target of criticism from the US and some of their allies, who warned that they posed a risk to Europe’s energy security by increasing dependence on Russian gas.
In March 2023, German media reported that a pro-Ukraine group was involved in sabotage. Ukraine rejected suggestions that it might have ordered the attack and German officials expressed caution about the accusation.
Authorities said last year that investigators found traces of underwater explosives in samples taken from a yacht that was searched as part of the investigation.
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