Zelensky: Ukraine was never officially involved in the Nord Stream sabotage

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that Kyiv never officially took part in operations to blow up the Nord Stream pipelines. The statement comes amid an ongoing German investigation, which has repeatedly pointed to possible Ukrainian involvement in the sabotage.

Ukrainian authorities have previously denied any role in destroying the pipelines that run along the Baltic Sea floor connecting Russia and Germany. Nevertheless, two Ukrainian citizens are currently in custody on suspicion of taking part in the operation.

Charges and arrests in the case

Germany has charged a Ukrainian man identified as Serhiy K. According to the German federal prosecutor’s office, the suspect, along with other servicemen, drew up the plan to destroy the pipelines on the orders of Ukrainian state bodies. He was detained by Italian police and subsequently extradited from Italy to Germany.

Another Ukrainian citizen, Volodymyr Z., is being held in Croatia, with Berlin seeking his extradition. German prosecutors say he was part of the group around Serhiy K. that planted explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near the island of Bornholm in September 2022.

What Denmark and Sweden decided

In addition to Germany, Denmark and Sweden also investigated the pipeline damage, but both countries have since closed their cases. Swedish prosecutors announced in February two years ago that they lacked the authority to pursue the matter further. Denmark said a few days later that it considered the pipeline damage to have been deliberate but found insufficient grounds for criminal prosecution on its territory.

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline had carried Russian gas to Germany since 2011. Construction of Nord Stream 2 was completed in 2021, but gas never flowed through it: following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the pipeline was never put into commercial operation. Both pipelines were damaged in explosions on 26 September 2022. Nord Stream 1 was also not in operation at the time of the blasts — Russia said then that it was undergoing maintenance.

Source: novinky.cz