UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM GERMAN PROSECUTORS; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, EDITS THROUGHOUT
By Anadolu staff
BERLIN (AA) - A Ukrainian citizen suspected of involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines has been arrested in Italy, German prosecutors announced on Thursday.
The suspect, identified as Serhii K., was apprehended near the northern Italian city of Rimini on a European arrest warrant issued by Germany, the Federal Prosecutor's Office said in a statement, confirming an earlier report by Der Spiegel newsmagazine.
“Serhii K. was part of a group of individuals who placed explosive devices on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines near the island of Bornholm in September 2022,” the prosecutors said. They added that he served as a coordinator in the operation rather than being one of the operatives who physically attached the explosive devices.
According to the statement, the Ukrainian citizen will be brought before the investigating judge of the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe, after his transfer from Italy.
The 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines was an unprecedented attack that caused extensive damage to the infrastructure connecting Russia and Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. The Ukrainian government has repeatedly denied any involvement.
A German investigation concluded in 2023 that a pro-Ukrainian group was behind the sabotage. According to reports, the team consisted of two divers, two assistants, a captain, and a medic. The group allegedly entered Germany using forged travel documents and rented the yacht Andromeda, which investigators believe served as the operational base for the sabotage mission.