A Polish court has ruled that a Ukrainian diver wanted by Germany for his alleged role in the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipeline must remain in custody for another 40 days, Reuters reports, reports News.bg.
Volodymyr Z. was detained near Warsaw last Tuesday, with the court initially ordering him to remain behind bars for seven days. However, today the court decided to extend his detention pending a decision on whether to hand him over to German authorities on the basis of a European arrest warrant.
Described by both Moscow and the West as an act of sabotage, the explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipeline marked an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and cut off energy supplies to Europe. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, and Ukraine denies any involvement.
In August, Italian police arrested another Ukrainian suspected of coordinating the attacks. The man, identified as Serhiy K., plans to appeal his extradition to Germany to Italy's highest court after a lower court had already ordered his surrender.