A Ukranian man has been arrested in Italy after ongoing investigations linked him to the Nord Stream gas explosion some three years ago.
Before the 2022 explosion, the Nord Stream gas pipelines were transporting natural gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. They supplied Europe with a major share of its energy needs. The blasts severely damaged the pipelines, halting operations
Reports indicate that the 49-year-old was detained in the early hours in San Clemente, a village inland from Italy’s Adriatic coast and 11 kilometers (7 miles) from the resort of Rimini, after Italian authorities were alerted to his possible presence in the country, police in Italy said.
Officers raided a bungalow where the suspect was staying with his family for a few days.
Police confirmed to reporters that he surrendered without resistance.
The man was detained on a European arrest warrant that was issued on Monday by German authorities. German federal prosecutors identified him only as Serhii K. in line with local privacy rules.
He was taken to jail in Rimini after his arrest. It wasn’t immediately clear how soon he might be handed over to German authorities.
In a statement Thursday, German prosecutors said Serhii K. was one of a group of people who placed explosives on the pipelines and is believed to have been one of the coordinators.
The accusations levelled against him encapsulate transnational effects including heightening tensions over the war in Ukraine as European countries moved to wean themselves off Russian energy sources, following the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
