Volodymyr Z., a Ukrainian diver wanted by Germany over his alleged involvement in the Nord Stream explosions, has been detained in Poland, his lawyer said on Tuesday.
Described by both Moscow and the West as an act of sabotage, the explosions in 2022 largely severed Russian gas supplies to Europe, marking a major escalation in the Ukraine conflict and squeezing energy supplies on the continent.
No one has taken responsibility for the blasts and Ukraine has denied any role.
"This morning, he was detained in a town near Warsaw," Volodymyr Z.'s lawyer Tymoteusz Paprocki said.
Private broadcaster RMF FM first reported the arrest. It said Volodymyr Z. was detained in Pruszkow, west of the capital.
Suspect to fight transfer to Germany
Paprocki said that Volodymyr Z.'s defence would fight against his transfer to Germany, arguing that the execution of the European arrest warrant against him was inadmissible given Russia's war in Ukraine.
"The attack on Nord Stream infrastructure concerns one of the pipeline's owners, Gazprom, which directly finances the military operations in Ukraine," he said. Gazprom is Russia's state gas giant.
The German justice ministry and the federal prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Polish prosecutors had no immediate comment.
In August, Italian police arrested a Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating the attacks. The man, identified only as Serhii K., plans to take his fight against extradition to Italy's highest court after a lower court ordered his transfer to Germany.
Polish prosecutors told Reuters in August that they received a European arrest warrant issued by Berlin in connection with the attack on Nord Stream pipelines, but the suspect had already left Poland.
Gas pipelines
German investigators believe Volodymyr Z. was part of a team that planted the explosives, the SZ and Die Zeit newspapers reported in August alongside the ARD broadcaster, citing unnamed sources.
The blasts wrecked three out of four Nord Stream pipelines, which had become a controversial symbol of German reliance on Russian gas in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Russia blamed the U.S., Britain and Ukraine for the blasts, which largely cut Russian gas off from the lucrative European market. Those countries have denied involvement.
Germany, Denmark, and Sweden all began investigations into the incident, and the Swedes found traces of explosives on several objects recovered from the explosion site, confirming the blasts were deliberate acts.
The Swedish and Danish investigations were closed in February without identifying any suspect.
Ukraine’s Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk has pledged transparency in the ongoing corruption investigation into the country’s energy sector, ass...
British broadcaster BBC's crisis takes a new turn as U.S. President Donald Trump's lawyers have written to the organisation threatening a $1bn lawsuit...
Elon Musk’s bold vision for the future of technology doesn’t stop at reshaping space exploration or electric cars. The Neuralink brain-chip techno...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has urged the public to drastically reduce water consumption in the aftermath of an unprecedented drought across t...
Uzbekistan is increasing its involvement in global space research with the signing of a new memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Digita...
Ukraine’s Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk has pledged transparency in the ongoing corruption investigation into the country’s energy sector, assuring international partners that the probe into the $100 million kickback scheme will be objective and within the law.
British broadcaster BBC's crisis takes a new turn as U.S. President Donald Trump's lawyers have written to the organisation threatening a $1bn lawsuit if it does not retract Panorama documentary.
Elon Musk’s bold vision for the future of technology doesn’t stop at reshaping space exploration or electric cars. The Neuralink brain-chip technology he introduced in 2020 could mark the end of smartphones as we know them, and his recent statements amplify this futuristic idea.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has urged the public to drastically reduce water consumption in the aftermath of an unprecedented drought across the country.
Billionaire Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin has launched NASA’s twin ESCAPADE satellites to Mars on Sunday, marking the second flight of its New Glenn rocket, a mission seen as a crucial test of the company’s reusability ambitions and a fresh challenge to Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Real Madrid, top of LaLiga, is determined to bounce back from their midweek Champions League loss against Liverpool as they face local rivals Rayo Vallecano. Coach Xabi Alonso insists the team is focused on finishing strong before the international break.
Two trains crashed in Slovakia on Sunday evening after one ran into the back of the other, injuring dozens of passengers, police and the country's interior minister said.
Russia said its forces have captured the village of Rybne in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, though Kyiv has not confirmed the claim. Ukraine’s military says it repelled multiple Russian assaults nearby amid ongoing heavy fighting.
China has announced exemptions to its export controls on Nexperia chips intended for civilian use, the commerce ministry said on Sunday, a move aimed at easing supply shortages affecting carmakers and automotive suppliers.
At least eight people were killed and 20 injured on Monday when a car exploded near the historic Red Fort in India's capital, Delhi, police said, a rare blast in the heavily guarded city of more than 30 million people.
Ukraine’s Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk has pledged transparency in the ongoing corruption investigation into the country’s energy sector, assuring international partners that the probe into the $100 million kickback scheme will be objective and within the law.
British broadcaster BBC's crisis takes a new turn as U.S. President Donald Trump's lawyers have written to the organisation threatening a $1bn lawsuit if it does not retract Panorama documentary.
A car exploded near New Delhi's historic Red Fort on Monday, killing at least 8 people and injuring several others. The blast triggered a fire that damaged multiple parked vehicles. Authorities are investigating the cause, with fire crews swiftly responding to the scene.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Canada’s Niagara region this week to attend a meeting of Group of Seven foreign ministers, where discussions will focus on international peace and security.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment