Ukrainian detained in Italy for alleged Nord Stream sabotage, media report
Italian police have arrested a Ukrainian national under a European arrest warrant in connection with the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions, German prosecutors announced on Aug. 21.
The overnight arrest involved 49-year-old Serhii K., whom German investigators suspect of coordinating the operation to blow up the pipelines, according to Bloomberg and Euronews.
The suspect, whose full name was not provided, was detained overnight in Italy's Rimini province, where he was staying with his family at a tourist accommodation.
The underwater Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines connecting Russia to Germany were blown up in September 2022.
Following the incident, Moscow and the West traded blame over the incident. In July 2024, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused the United States of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines.
According to German prosecutors, the suspect arrested Thursday, along with accomplices, used a sailing yacht that departed from the German port of Rostock. The vessel had been rented through intermediaries using forged identification documents from a German company.
Earlier, in August 2024, German media reported an arrest warrant for another Ukrainian - diving instructor Volodymyr Z. (identified by Sweden's Expressen as Volodymyr Zhuravlov, aged 44) - but his whereabouts remained unknown.
The man is suspected of anti-constitutional sabotage and causing an explosion. However, this suspect has yet to be detained.
In 2023, German investigators linked the explosions to a pro-Ukraine group, accusing a crew of Ukrainians of carrying out the sabotage. Investigators did not allege that the sabotage was authorized by Kyiv. Ukraine has denied any involvement.
In 2021, a year before Russia's full-scale invasion, Nord Stream 1 transported over one-third of Russia's European gas exports.
In 2024, Czech President Petr Pavel said that the pipelines were a legitimate target, even if Ukraine was behind the attack.
In May 2025, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the German government would "do everything" to prevent Nord Stream 2 from being restarted.
