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Polish authorities have confirmed the arrest of a Ukrainian man suspected by Germany of being involved in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Roughly seven months after the war in Ukraine kicked off, a series of powerful underwater explosions destroyed three out of four pipelines in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 systems (massive infrastructure projects designed to transport Russian natural gas directly to Germany through the Baltic Sea). These pipelines were central to Europe’s energy security and Germany’s economic model, delivering affordable fuel that powered industry and homes across the continent. The blasts abruptly severed a critical energy link between Russia and Europe, intensifying an already severe energy crisis caused by the war. In the immediate aftermath, US officials suggested Russian sabotage, implying Moscow may have sought to escalate tensions or create leverage. Contrarily, Russia accused the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine of orchestrating the attack to isolate Russia and dismantle its energy influence. Adding fuel to the speculation, American journalist Seymour Hersh published a controversial report claiming US Navy divers, acting on orders from the Biden administration, planted the explosives (an allegation firmly denied by the US). Meanwhile, investigations by Polish and German intelligence services later pointed toward a six-person pro-Ukrainian group that allegedly used a rented yacht to carry out the operation.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, Polish authorities have arrested a Ukrainian man identified as Volodymyr Z., a trained diving instructor, in connection with the Nord Stream pipeline explosions. Acting on a European Arrest Warrant issued by Germany, Polish law enforcement detained Volodymyr Z. in the town of Pruszkow, near Warsaw. German prosecutors allege that he was part of a small group that used forged documents to rent a sailing yacht (the “Andromeda”) from a German city, which was then used as a platform to deploy divers and plant explosives on the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm. According to the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office, Z. is suspected of directly participating in the underwater dives that placed the charges which caused the blasts.

The Warsaw District Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that extradition proceedings are underway, as Germany seeks to bring Volodymyr before a judge. If extradited, he faces serious charges, including causing an explosion, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of critical infrastructure. These are significant criminal offenses under German law.

Z.’s lawyer, Tymoteusz Paprocki, has stated that his client will plead not guilty and denies any involvement in the Nord Stream attack. Paprocki has also vowed to challenge the extradition, arguing that the arrest warrant is inadmissible due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. He is basically arguing that the pipelines in question (particularly Nord Stream 2, which never went into operation) were owned in part by Gazprom, Russia’s state-controlled energy giant, which directly funds Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine. From that perspective, Paprocki argues that even if the sabotage occurred, no crime was committed against Germany, since the infrastructure served a hostile power waging war against Ukraine.

More to come.