Nord Stream. Photo from open sources
The German authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Ukrainian diving instructor Volodymyr Z, who is suspected of involvement in sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. This decision caused a sharp reaction in the opposition, which demands that the prosecutor’s office disclose the investigation data. The allegations point to possible state involvement in the attack.
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) has called on Germany’s Federal Attorney General Jens Rommel to report to the Bundestag’s home affairs committee. “We demand an immediate explanation of all the facts,” said Klaus Ernst, vice president of the left-wing group BSW. He also added that the withholding of information for two years is a scandal.
Deputy Sahra Wagenknecht expressed her suspicion that German investigative bodies are deliberately hiding details because of Ukraine’s possible involvement in the attacks. “It would be a scandal if state motives led to ignoring the evidence,” she said.
An investigation by journalists from ARD, Süddeutsche Zeitung and Die Zeit points to serious allegations of sabotage, with investigators concluding that the attacks on the gas pipelines “could not have been organized by private individuals, with the state behind them”. If Ukraine turns out to be involved, it will call into question further military assistance from Germany.
Now the investigation continues, but it has already caused an international outcry, in particular due to the possible intervention of Poland. According to sources, Volodymyr Z was hiding in Poland, but local authorities did not arrest him. It is not known whether the suspect has returned to Ukraine.
The case is also linked to events where the alleged perpetrators took a trip on the sailing yacht Andromeda, which was involved in the operation. German investigators suspect that Volodymyr Z took a direct part in the attack, acting as one of the divers.
It is currently unknown to what extent the Ukrainian authorities were involved in the organization of the sabotage. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky categorically denies any involvement of his government in the attacks, and the head of the Ukrainian special service, Kyrylo Budanov, also stated that Ukrainian officials could not have participated in these events.
Source: German state television online site, Tagesschau.de
