Italian police have detained a Ukrainian national suspected of taking part in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The arrest took place in the Rimini area on Wednesday evening, carried out under a European arrest warrant issued by German authorities. The man, identified as Serhii K., is believed to have had a role in coordinating the attack, according to reporting by Spiegel.
Investigators in Germany allege that the Nord Stream explosions in September 2022 were carried out by a unit of Ukrainian special forces. The group is said to have chartered a sailing yacht to bring divers to the site of the pipeline, where explosives were placed on the seabed. According to prosecutors, Serhii K. was present on the yacht Andromeda but did not dive himself; instead, he allegedly oversaw elements of the operation.
Sources familiar with the case told Spiegel in 2024 that the Ukrainian servicemen involved did not see their actions as criminal. Within their ranks, the strike against the pipeline was regarded as a blow against a legitimate target in the conflict with Russia. Profits from Russian gas sales to Germany, they argued, had been feeding the Kremlin’s war effort, making the pipeline a symbol of Moscow’s ability to finance its aggression.
German investigators have also reportedly uncovered evidence suggesting that the attack was not a rogue act but had been authorised by the Ukrainian armed forces. This finding contradicts earlier assumptions in Western politics and media that Russia itself was behind the explosions. Over time, German federal police and prosecutors pieced together a trail leading to the yacht and its suspected Ukrainian links.
The investigation gained momentum last year when Federal Prosecutor Jens Rommel secured the first arrest warrant for one of the divers allegedly involved. That suspect, however, managed to evade capture after leaving his residence in Poland. Reports indicated that Polish authorities had tipped off their Ukrainian counterparts, and the man was able to cross into Ukraine using a vehicle with diplomatic registration plates.
As for Serhii K., it remains unclear when or whether he will be extradited to Germany from Italy. Law enforcement sources told Spiegel that no decision has yet been made. Meanwhile, the German investigation continues. Rommel previously noted that progress had been achieved, including the identification of two suspects linked to the sabotage.
The political dimension remains sensitive. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly denied any Ukrainian involvement, insisting that Kyiv had nothing to do with the explosions. He has suggested that attention should instead focus on who benefits from spreading allegations of Ukrainian responsibility.
The blasts, which occurred near Denmark’s Bornholm island in late September 2022, caused four separate ruptures on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. The damage immediately fueled international debate, with the question of accountability still reverberating more than two years later.