Ukrainian suspected of links to Nord Stream pipeline blasts arrested in Italy, prosecutors say

A Ukrainian citizen suspected of participating in the undersea explosions in 2022 that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany has been arrested, German prosecutors said on Thursday.

The suspect, identified only as Serhii K. in line with German privacy rules, was arrested overnight in Italy’s Rimini province, federal prosecutors said.

They added that he is believed to be one of the coordinators of the operation.

In a statement, the German prosecutors' office confirmed the arrest, saying the "accused was allegedly one of the coordinators of the operation."

Explosions on 26 September 2022 damaged the pipelines, which were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea.

The damage added to tensions over the war in Ukraine as European countries moved to wean themselves off Russian energy sources following the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour.

The explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which was Russia’s main natural gas supply route to Germany until Moscow cut off 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 accused the US of staging the explosions, a charge Washington denies.

The pipelines were long a target of criticism by the US and some of its allies, who warned that they posed a risk to Europe’s energy security by increasing dependence on Russian gas.

In 2023, German media reported that a pro-Ukraine group was involved in the sabotage. Ukraine rejected suggestions it might have ordered the attack and German officials voiced caution over the accusation.