A Ukrainian citizen, whose last known address was in Poland, is being sought by German authorities on charges of sabotaging the Nord Stream gas pipeline in 2022. He is believed to have acted with two accomplices.
According to German news agencies ARD, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and Die Zeit, German authorities issued an arrest warrant on August 14 for Volodymyr Z., a Ukrainian diving instructor, in connection with the explosions nearly two years ago that damaged the Russian gas pipeline across the Baltic Sea to Western Europe.
In an investigation published on August 14, the suspect is believed to have acted in conjunction with at least two other individuals, also believed to be Ukrainian citizens. It was reported that suspect Volodymyr Z. had recently lived in Poland, but Polish authorities stated they could not act on the German arrest warrant because he had left the country.
This is the first arrest warrant issued in connection with the explosions, which remain an unsolved mystery to this day.
Mysterious explosion
Before being sabotaged, the operational Nord Stream 1 pipeline and the non-operational Nord Stream 2 pipeline were the main pipelines across the Baltic Sea for transporting Russian natural gas to Europe, with a landing point in Germany.
In this image, provided by the Swedish Coast Guard, gas is seen escaping from a leak in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, September 2022. Photo: Getty Images
The use of this pipeline system has always been controversial due to its role in making the EU dependent on Russian energy, and has become even more controversial since Moscow launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.
On September 26, 2022, several explosions were detected along the aforementioned twin pipelines, resulting in a gas leak. Germany, Denmark, and Sweden all launched investigations into the incident, but the Danish and Swedish investigations were closed without identifying any suspects.
The explosions attracted worldwide media attention, sparking speculation about who was responsible. Russia and the West accused each other of being behind the blasts. Suspicions immediately arose that Ukrainians were involved, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vehemently denied any involvement of his administration.
The German investigation
According to German authorities, Volodymyr Z. and two others approached the operator of the German-flagged yacht Andromeda, anchored off the island of Rügen in the north.
ARD reported that Volodymyr Z. had directed this person to the pipeline location, and two of the three suspects put on wetsuits and dived underwater.
The yacht operator reportedly identified Z. from a series of photos provided to him by the police. According to reports, a white truck suspected of being used to transport diving materials was captured on traffic cameras on the Rügen in September 2022 with a passenger who "striked very much like Z."
A German court issued an arrest warrant for Volodymyr Z. in June. News outlets that initially reported on the case said they relied on "information from a foreign intelligence agency" to reach their conclusions.
Where is Volodymyr Z.?
The suspect was last known to live in a village outside Warsaw, Poland. However, there are reports that he has gone into hiding.
Following questions about why Poland had not executed the European arrest warrant within the required 60 days, a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office said the suspect had fled to Ukraine before they could do so. The spokesperson said they had searched the suspect's residence outside Warsaw, but he had disappeared.
No connection was found between suspect Z. and the Ukrainian government . Two other suspects, a married couple for whom no arrest warrants were issued, denied knowing Z. and said they were on holiday in Bulgaria when the sabotage attack occurred.
German journalists said they contacted Volodymyr Z. by phone, but he denied any involvement and quickly hung up.
The Swedish news agency Expressen, which collaborated with German news agencies, said the suspect's full name is Volodymyr Zhuravlov, 44.
A spokesperson for the German Justice Ministry said they "do not comment on media reports" about the arrest warrant. The Federal Prosecutor's Office declined to comment.
Minh Duc (According to DW, Kyiv Independent)
Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/duc-co-dong-thai-moi-lien-quan-vu-pha-hoai-duong-ong-nord-stream-204240814213021058.htm
