Berlin, August 16 — German authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian citizen, identified as Volodymyr Z., in connection with the 2022 explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea. The blast, which occurred two years ago, disrupted the flow of Russian natural gas to Europe, exacerbating tensions between Russia and Western countries. 

According to a report from Al Jazeera, the suspect, a diving instructor, was believed to be residing in Poland. However, he reportedly left the country and crossed into Ukraine in early July, just before German authorities could act on the European arrest warrant issued for him.

Anna Adamiak, spokesperson for the Polish National Public Prosecutor's Office, confirmed that German authorities had sent the arrest warrant to the Warsaw District Prosecutor's Office in June. However, Volodymyr Z. was not detained at the border because his name had not been included in the list of wanted persons by German authorities at that time. Consequently, the Polish Border Guard had no information or grounds to detain him.

In addition to Volodymyr Z., German investigators have identified two other suspects who are believed to have played a role in the Nord Stream explosion. These individuals are suspected of attaching explosives to the pipeline, which led to the massive disruption in gas supply from Russia to Europe.

The Nord Stream pipelines, comprising Nord Stream-1 and Nord Stream-2, are the largest gas delivery routes from Russia to Europe, with a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. While Nord Stream-1 had been operational for years, the construction of Nord Stream-2 was completed in September 2021, and it was intended to serve the same purpose.

The explosion led to a flurry of accusations and counter-accusations between Russia and Western countries. Moscow has consistently blamed Ukraine and its Western allies for the incident. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied any involvement in the attack.

The case has also drawn attention following a blog post by Pulitzer Prize-winning American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, who claimed that the explosion was orchestrated by the U.S. Navy on orders from President Joe Biden. The White House, however, has dismissed these claims as "completely false and complete fiction."

As investigations continue, the issuance of the arrest warrant against Volodymyr Z. marks a significant development in the ongoing efforts to uncover the perpetrators behind one of the most significant attacks on European energy infrastructure in recent years.