Italian police have detained a man of Ukrainian origin on suspicion of involvement in the organization of attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, ANSA reported, citing a statement from the German chief prosecutor's office, BTA reports.
The arrest was made last night in the province of Rimini, and the detainee is expected to be extradited to Germany.
The suspect, identified as Sergiy K. under German data protection laws, is said to be a member of a group that planted explosive devices on the pipes near the Danish island of Bornholm. “The accused is believed to have been one of the coordinators of operation“, the prosecutor's office said, quoted by DPA.
German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubich described the arrest as a “significant success“ for the prosecutor's office. She called for a thorough investigation and bringing those responsible to justice, Reuters reports.
The investigation indicates that Sergiy K. and his accomplices reached the scene of the attack on a yacht rented from a German company through an intermediary and with false identity documents. The group sailed from the coast of the northeastern German city of Rostock.
The “Nord Stream“ 1 and 2 gas pipelines, connecting Russia with Germany across the Baltic Sea, were hit by explosions in late September 2022. Shortly after, four leaks were discovered in three sections of the pipes. Until then, “Nord Stream“ 1 had been delivering Russian gas to Germany, while “Nord Stream“ 2 was never put into operation after the start of the war in Ukraine.