Germany issues arrest warrant for diver over Nord Stream blasts, say reports

German authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian man on suspicion of being part of a team that blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, according to local media reports.

The man, a diving instructor identified only as Volodymyr Z, is last believed to have lived in Poland, and is alleged to have dived 80 metres to the seabed at night to plant explosive devices on the pipelines, which ran from Russia to Germany, in September 2022.

The explosive devices detonated on 26 September, seven months after the start of the full-blown Russian invasion of Ukraine. Four large gas leaks were discovered on both Nord Stream pipelines close to the Danish island of Bornholm, putting the pipelines out of use.