BERLIN — German prosecutors introduced Thursday the arrest of a Ukrainian nationwide suspected of serving to coordinate the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream fuel pipelines.
The federal prosecutor normal stated Italian police detained Serhii Okay. in a single day in Rimini utilizing a European arrest warrant. He’s accused of being one of many organizers of an operation that positioned explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and a couple of pipelines close to the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022.
The blasts induced huge fuel leaks and severely broken each pipelines, chopping a vital power hyperlink between Russia and Europe.
Investigators consider the group used a yacht rented from the German port of Rostock underneath false identities to move explosives to the location. Traces of the military-grade explosive octogen have been later found on board.
Based on German authorities, Serhii Okay. was “urgently suspected” of coordinating the assault alongside others. He faces costs of inflicting an explosion, committing anti-constitutional sabotage, and destroying infrastructure.
The arrest marks a breakthrough in a posh investigation that has stretched throughout a number of international locations. Sweden and Denmark closed their probes with out naming suspects earlier this 12 months, whereas Germany pressed forward with its case, specializing in a small workforce of divers and assist employees thought to have carried out the mission. Stories from Western officers have pointed to potential hyperlinks with Ukrainian networks, although Kyiv has constantly denied any involvement.
The suspect might be transferred to Germany to face a federal choose in Karlsruhe.