Ukrainian man arrested in Italy for Nord Stream pipeline attacks

Italian police have arrested a Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating the 2022 attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, according to German prosecutors, marking the first arrest in connection with one of the most mysterious acts of sabotage in recent European history.

The suspect, identified only as Serhii K. under German privacy laws, was detained overnight in the Italian coastal town of Rimini and is accused of being one of the key organizers of the underwater explosions that damaged the critical energy infrastructure. German authorities will seek his extradition to face charges of causing explosions, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destroying critical infrastructure.

Coordinated Operation Used Sailing Yacht

German federal prosecutors allege that Serhii K. was part of a group that planted explosive devices on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm on September 26, 2022. According to investigators, the team chartered a sailing yacht from the German port city of Rostock using falsified identity documents obtained through intermediaries.

The 49-year-old Ukrainian is believed to have served as a coordinator rather than one of the divers who physically placed the explosives on the seabed. Reports from German media suggest the operation involved a team of five men and one woman who used the yacht “Andromeda” to carry out the attack.

Second Arrest in Ongoing Investigation

This arrest follows a European arrest warrant issued in August 2024 for another Ukrainian suspect, diving instructor Volodymyr Z., who managed to flee Poland for Ukraine before authorities could detain him. German investigators believe Volodymyr Z. was one of the divers who planted the explosive devices.

The investigation has identified additional suspects, including a Ukrainian man and woman believed to be a married couple who operate a diving school in Ukraine and allegedly served as divers in the operation