A Ukrainian national, identified as Serhii K., has been arrested in Italy in connection with the alleged sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022, Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday, reported Xinhua.
The arrest was carried out overnight in the province of Rimini on the basis of a warrant issued by Germany's Federal Court of Justice, according to a statement from the prosecutor's office.
The man is suspected of being one of the coordinators of the operation and a member of a group that allegedly placed explosive devices on the pipelines.
According to the warrant, the suspect and his accomplices transported the explosives aboard a sailboat that departed from Rostock, Germany. The vessel was rented from a German company, with intermediaries and forged identity papers reportedly used in the process.
The explosives detonated on Sept. 26, 2022, causing severe damage to both the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
The suspect faces charges including jointly causing explosions and anti-constitutional sabotage. He is expected to be extradited from Italy to Germany, where he will appear before the investigating judge of the Federal Court of Justice, the statement said.
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
