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BLITZ-STREAM ⟩ German Prosecutor Seeks Arrest of 'Volodymyr Z.' in Nord Stream Sabotage Case

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German prosecutors seek to arrest a Ukrainian suspect in the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, while Denmark and Sweden, where the explosions occurred in their economic waters, have already closed their investigations.

In June, German prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for Volodymyr Z., a Ukrainian diving instructor living in Poland, whom they believe was involved in the attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines. However, Polish authorities have yet to detain him, according to reports today from Süddeutsche Zeitung, ARD, and Die Zeit.

Nearly two years after the explosive attack on the Nord Stream pipelines, Germany’s Federal Prosecutor General Jens Rommel sought the arrest of Volodymyr Z., who was last known to be in Poland.

Investigators also suspect two other Ukrainian nationals, one of whom is a woman, of participating in the attacks, likely as divers who planted the explosives on the pipelines. Information about these suspects reportedly came to German investigators through various intelligence agencies abroad.

The yacht Andromeda on the island of Rügen. German investigators believe the vessel transported explosives into the Baltic Sea, which were later detonated near the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
The yacht Andromeda on the island of Rügen. German investigators believe the vessel transported explosives into the Baltic Sea, which were later detonated near the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Photo: OLIVER DENZER/REUTERS

It was previously revealed that the alleged perpetrators of the pipeline attacks were sailing around the Baltic Sea in September 2022 aboard a yacht named Andromeda. In recent months, investigators gathered enough new evidence that, in early June, a court issued an arrest warrant for Volodymyr Z. German prosecutors then reached out to Polish authorities, hoping they would assist in apprehending the suspect.

According to ARD, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and Die Zeit, German investigators determined that Volodymyr Z. was last living in the town of Pruszków, west of Warsaw, but he has since disappeared without a trace. It remains unclear whether he returned to Ukraine, and in a brief phone conversation with reporters yesterday, the man expressed surprise at the accusations, denying any involvement in the Nord Stream attacks.

To date, Poland has not responded to Germany’s request for legal assistance. It is also unclear why Polish authorities have not arrested Volodymyr Z. Under the rules governing European arrest warrants, Poland should have detained him within 60 days without requiring further investigation on their part—a deadline that has now passed.

Methane escaping from sabotaged pipelines in the Baltic Sea (27 September 2022).
Methane escaping from sabotaged pipelines in the Baltic Sea (27 September 2022). Photo: Danish Armed Forces / SWNS

The issuance of the arrest warrant reportedly hinged on a white van captured by a traffic camera in Rügen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, on September 8, 2022. The Andromeda had made a stop in Rügen, and the van is believed to have been used to transport diving equipment.

It’s alleged that the driver of the van was instructed to transport several Ukrainians, and based on the traffic camera images, investigators identified one of the passengers as Volodymyr Z., who is now wanted for arrest. Additional clues linked him to a border check between Germany and Poland.

The explosions on September 26, 2022, damaged three of the four branches of the Nord Stream pipelines, which transport gas from Russia to Germany. Denmark and Sweden, in whose economic waters the explosions occurred, also investigated the sabotage, but both countries have since closed their cases.

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