Germany issues arrest warrant for Ukrainian diver in Nord Stream investigation

Germany has issued a European arrest warrant against a Ukrainian diving instructor who allegedly was part of a team that blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines, according to a report by three German media outlets published on Wednesday.

German investigators believe the man, last known to have lived in Poland, was one of the divers who planted explosive devices on pipelines running from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea in September 2022, the SZ and Die Zeit newspapers reported alongside the ARD broadcaster, citing unnamed sources.

The German prosecutor general's office declined to comment on the report.

Germany had asked Poland in June to arrest the man, the report said.

The Polish National Public Prosecutor's Office had no immediate comment on the matter.

On Wednesday, the Spiegel news magazine reported that the suspect is since thought to have left Poland, citing security sources.

Another man and a woman - also Ukrainian diving instructors - have been identified in Germany's investigation into the suspected sabotage but so far no arrest warrants have been issued for them, according to SZ, Zeit and ARD.

It remains a mystery who was behind the explosions that destroyed three out of four pipelines, which became a controversial symbol of German reliance on Russian gas in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia and the West have accused each other of being behind the blasts. 

Each has denied involvement, and no one has taken responsibility.

A Swedish probe found traces of explosives on several objects recovered from the explosion site, confirming the explosions were deliberate acts.

In January 2023, Germany raided a ship that it said may have been used to transport explosives and told the United Nations that it believed trained divers could have attached devices to the pipelines at about 70 to 80 meters deep.

Re4uters