Volodymyr Z, a diver, has been apprehended in connection with the 2022 blasts that severely disrupted Russian gas deliveries to Europe.
Published On 30 Sep 2025
Authorities in Poland have taken into custody a Ukrainian diver suspected of involvement in the 2022 underwater explosions that damaged the Nord Stream pipelines, which transport Russian gas to Germany.
Known only as Volodymyr Z in accordance with German privacy regulations, the diver was arrested near Warsaw on Tuesday, according to reports from RMF FM and statements from his legal counsel.
His attorney, Tymoteusz Paprocki, announced plans to contest the proposed extradition to Germany, where prosecutors are investigating the incident, which both Western nations and Moscow have labeled an act of sabotage.
The blasts caused a significant disruption in Russian gas exports to Europe, intensifying the energy crisis amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Despite the severity of the attack, no party has officially claimed responsibility. Ukraine has denied any role, while Russia has accused the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine itself. German investigators concluded in 2023 that a group sympathetic to Ukraine orchestrated the sabotage.
The arrest followed the issuance of a European arrest warrant by German authorities.
Paprocki argued that the warrant should be invalidated due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, emphasizing that the Nord Stream pipeline’s owner, Gazprom, directly funds military operations in the region.
Reports from German media outlets such as Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Die Zeit, and ARD, citing anonymous sources, suggest that investigators believe Volodymyr Z was part of a team responsible for planting explosives on the pipeline.
In a related development, Italian police detained another Ukrainian national, identified as Serhii K, in August for allegedly coordinating the attacks. Italy’s lower court has since ordered his extradition to Germany.
Serhii K’s defense team has announced plans to appeal to Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation, arguing that fundamental rights-including fair trial guarantees, detention conditions, and immunity protections-must not be compromised by automatic judicial cooperation.
German prosecutors accuse Serhii K and his associates of departing from Rostock, a port city on Germany’s northeastern coast, aboard a yacht to execute the pipeline sabotage.
He faces charges including conspiracy to cause explosions, unconstitutional sabotage, and destruction of critical infrastructure.
