The German prosecutor announced on Thursday that an Ukrainian man suspected of involvement in the explosion of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline in 2022 was arrested by Italian police. This action could potentially be a breakthrough in the investigation and shed light on one of the most mysterious energy attacks in Europe in recent years.
The explosion occurred shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, causing severe damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, massive gas leakage, interruption of energy supply, and further escalating tensions between Russia and the West. Although the explosion was widely seen as an act of sabotage, to this day, no country or organization has claimed responsibility.
The German Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced that the suspect is referred to only as “Serhii K.” under German privacy laws. He is accused of traveling with a group of individuals to the vicinity of the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm in September 2022, where they installed an explosive device to destroy the Nord Stream pipeline.
The prosecutor indicated that the suspect and his accomplices rented a sailboat from the port city of Rostock in northeastern Germany, using forged identity documents rented through intermediaries, and then discreetly placed explosives on the seabed.
The man was arrested by the Italian Carabinieri in the province of Rimini along the Adriatic Sea coast and extradited to Germany based on a European arrest warrant, with charges including “conspiracy to commit explosion,” “subversive activity undermining constitutional order,” and “destroying critical infrastructure.”
Following the incident, Denmark and Sweden both conducted investigations, which concluded in 2024 due to lack of jurisdiction or insufficient evidence, leaving Germany as the sole country continuing the investigation.
German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig stated, “The explosion incident must be thoroughly investigated, including criminal accountability, so progress in the investigation is a good development.”
German media outlets Süddeutsche Zeitung, Der Spiegel, and ARD television previously reported that the individuals involved may have been a group of six, including five men and one woman, who sneaked into the Baltic Sea during their voyage and planted explosives on the Nord Stream pipeline.
During the explosion, although Nord Stream 1 and 2 were not conveying natural gas to Europe, the pipelines were still filled with high-pressure gas, resulting in a massive gas leak visible on the surface of the Baltic Sea.
Both Russia and Ukraine denied involvement in the attack, and the United States also denied any connection. Russia, without providing evidence, pointed fingers at Western sabotage activities.
This explosion not only severed Russia’s major energy supply to Europe but also magnified Europe’s concerns about energy security in the early stages of the war, marking a significant turning point in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.