Three years after the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, the first suspect was arrested. The German Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office arrested a suspected co -ordinator in Italy, based on a European arrest warrant. Federal Justice Minister Stefani Hubing (SPD) spoke of a “very impressive success of the research”.

According to the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, the man, whose name was given as Sergei K., belonged to a group that adapted the explosives to the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm. They used a sailing boat departing from Rostok, Germany for transport.

The most arrested Ukrainian is said to be one of the coordinators. The Italian police arrested him near Rimini in the Adriatic. K. is now going to be transferred to Germany and leading before the investigator.

Connections with Kiev?

If Seri K. was really behind the bomb attack, a very sensitive question is whether he had links to the Ukrainian state or military leadership and possibly even acted on their behalf. This could seriously aggravate Ukrainian-German relations and call into question Germany’s ongoing military and financial support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.

Politician Sarah Wagenknecht has recently expressed this suspicion when she told Reuters news agency: “It is completely absurd that the man who is now arrested and his associates acted without the support of the Ukrainian leadership and the then Biden government in the US.” As a result, Ukraine President Volodimir Zelenski must also submit to the German Research Committee.

“It is completely absurd that Germany spends billions for help in Ukraine, but has never called for clarification from Zelenski. Possible compensation issues should also be addressed, “said alliance leader Sarah Wagenknecht, who has repeatedly rejected sanctions against Russia. Her party has not entered the Federal Parliament since the February elections.

The Greens politician warned of conspiracy theories and called for more confidence in the rule of law. Justice Minister Stefani Hubing stressed after the arrest that Germany’s attitude towards the Russian aggressive war on Ukraine will not change: “Politically, we are steadily standing on the side of Ukraine.”

While Denmark and Sweden have closed their investigations in February 2024, Germany is now the only country to officially investigate the case. Nord Stream is a Russian-German “mega-work” that had many opponents from the beginning, including Poland, the US, the Baltic countries and, especially since the beginning of the war, Ukraine. Therefore, the question during the investigations has always been: Who benefits from the explosion?

The time

2005: The German government under the then SPD Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, along with the Russian government under President Vladimir Putin, signed a letter of intentions on the construction of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. It would carry Russian gas to Germany through Germany. The original suggestions for the idea came in the 1990s.

2006: Nord Stream AG was established for the design and implementation of the project. Russian Gazprom and several European energy suppliers participated, as natural gas supplies are of interest not only to the Germans but also other Europeans.

2010: The construction of Nord Stream 1 has begun. The 1,224-kilometer double-pipe pipeline each connects Vimborg in Russia with Lubmin in Meclbourg-Western Pomerania in Germany.

2011/2012: Both pipelines were put into operation. According to the operator, they were intended to supply Europe with natural gas for at least 50 years. Construction costs according to Nord Stream AG: 7.4 billion euros. The annexation of Crimea by Russia did not affect the whole plan.

2013: The design for Nord Stream 2 begins, two additional 1,250 km pipelines that will operate substantially alongside existing pipelines from Russia to Germany.

2015: The first contracts for Nord Stream 2 are signed. The Russian state -owned Gazprom company and several European energy suppliers are again involved. Just a year earlier, Russia had annexed the Ukrainian Peninsula of Crimea. For the then Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), this is no reason to stop the project.

The reactions grow

2016: From the beginning, Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic countries in particular had reservations about Nord Stream because of their security interests and expressed their concerns with increasing tension. The EU also issued warnings. Following Donald Trump’s first election as US president, US resistance to Nord Stream also increased. Trump warns of Germany’s excessive dependence on Russian energy supplies. The German government ignores all concerns and presents Nord Stream not only in response to Europe’s energy security, but also as a means of securing peace through trade.

2018: The construction of Nord Stream 2 begins. Chancellor Angela Merkel admits for the first time that Nord Stream is not just a private sector project, but that “of course political factors must be taken into account.” It is out of the discussion, however, for her.

2019: US tone becomes tougher. Richard Grenell, US ambassador to Berlin, writes threatening letters to German companies involved in Nord Stream.

2021: Nord Stream 2 is completed. Shortly after taking over his duties in December, SPD Chancellor Olf Saltz opposes the interruption of the project for political reasons. It describes the pipeline as a “work of the private sector”, which should be evaluated independently of relations with Russia, which in the meantime are becoming more and more tense.

2021: Nord Stream 2 is completed. Shortly after taking over his duties in December, SPD Chancellor, Olf Saltz, opposes the interruption of the project for political reasons. It describes the pipeline as a “work of the private sector” that should be evaluated independently of relations with Russia, which are becoming increasingly difficult at that time.

War changes everything

February 22, 2022: Against the backdrop of Russian aggression against Ukraine, Chancellor Saltz inhibits Nord Stream 2 certification and, consequently, the approval process.

February 24, 2022: Russia attacks Ukraine. Nord stream critics feel justified. Nord Stream 1 gas deliveries will continue for the time being. However, due to EU sanctions against Russia, the amount received by EU countries from Russia will be reduced.

July/ August 2022: Nord Stream 1 is interrupted by Russia, allegedly due to maintenance work. Gazprom blames a defective turbine of further delays. Natural gas deliveries are later repeated on a limited basis, but eventually suspended again by the end of August. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, work will continue only when sanctions against Russia are lifted. Who is hiding behind the explosion?

September 26, 2022: Both lines of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and one of the two lines of the Nord Stream 2 near the Danish island of Bornholm are blown. Germany, Denmark and Sweden begin research.

2023: Over time, various theories appear about who may be behind the attacks. American researcher-journalist Seimur Hers claims that the US and Norway blasted the gas pipelines. However, no information can provide.

August 2024: The Polish Public Prosecutor’s Office reports that it received a European arrest warrant from the German Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office for the arrest of a suspect allegedly involved in the attacks. According to the German TV TV website, this June already happened. The Ukrainian suspect, Volodimir Z., who, according to Polish sources, was the last time in Poland, is said to have fled to Ukraine in early July. According to media reports, he was a diving trainer. The Polish Public Prosecutor’s Office raises the question of why the Polish authorities did not work earlier in a procedural error: there was no registration by the German side in the Schengen register, which lists those who are wanted on the basis of a European arrest warrant. As a result, the Polish border guards could not arrest Volodimir Z.

August 21, 2025: Italian carabinieri arrests Sergei K., Ukrainian wanted by the German Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office in the Adriatic Sea.

Curated by: Costas Argyros