Poland detains Ukrainian accused of blowing up Nord Stream pipelines
Illustative photo: Ukrainian detained in Pruszków (Getty Images)
A Ukrainian citizen was detained in Poland on suspicion of involvement in the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, according to RMF24.
The Ukrainian was detained under a European arrest warrant issued by a German court.
The arrest of Volodymyr Z. took place in the city of Pruszków. He was transferred to the district prosecutor’s office in Warsaw. The extradition procedure is expected soon.
The detainee’s lawyer, Tymoteusz Paprocki, told journalists that, in the defense’s opinion, there are no grounds to extradite the Ukrainian to the German justice system.
The defense claims that there is no possibility of bringing charges against anyone involved in the sabotage. Paprocki justified this position by stating that Nord Stream belongs to the Russians and that the revenues are going to the war in Ukraine.
The lawyer also noted that it is currently unknown whether his client participated in this sabotage operation.
Charges against the Ukrainian
German authorities call Volodymyr Z. a diving instructor. According to the investigation, in September 2022, he sailed from Rostock, Germany, to the Baltic Sea on a yacht, then dived underwater and placed explosives on the submarine pipeline.
Earlier, investigators claimed that after the explosion, he remained in Poland with his family, and when in the summer of 2024 the Germans asked the Poles to detain him, the man left by car with diplomatic plates.
“Why should we detain him? To us, he is a hero,” Polish law enforcement officers reportedly told their German colleagues when they demanded explanations in anger.
Nord Stream explosions
The explosions of the two Russian gas pipelines - Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 - occurred on September 26, 2022, a few months after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The blasts damaged sections of both pipelines, completely putting them out of operation. Several countries launched investigations, but the inquiry has not been able to identify the perpetrators precisely, though versions involving Ukraine, Russia, the US, and even China are being considered.
In Italy in 2025, a Ukrainian citizen, 49-year-old Serhii Kuznetsov, a former special forces serviceman, was detained.
Germany suspects him of organizing the pipeline explosions. Kuznetsov himself and his defense reject the accusations from Berlin.
