Ukrainian suspect arrested in Italy in Nord Stream sabotage case

A Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating the undersea attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines has been arrested in Italy, German prosecutors said, marking a significant step in the long-running investigation into the 2022 sabotage that damaged multiple pipelines carrying Russian gas to Europe. The suspect, identified only as Serhii K. in line with privacy rules, was taken into custody in Rimini and faces German charges including collusion to cause an explosion, anticonstitutional sabotage, and destruction of two structures. He is expected to be transferred to Germany to appear before a judge.

Prosecutors described the arrest as a major development in a case that has remained shrouded in secrecy since the blasts on September 26, 2022. They said the individual is believed to have been one of the operation’s coordinators, part of a group that placed explosive devices on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which run under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. The investigation has centered on a maritime operation launched from Rostock, with the yacht used for the mission chartered from a German company and obtained through intermediaries with forged identity documents.