Ukrainian arrested in Italy over Nord Stream pipeline blasts

In Italy, a Ukrainian man has been arrested in connection with the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions.

Italian police arrested Serhii K., a 49-year-old Ukrainian, at a holiday bungalow near Rimini in central Italy in the early hours of Thursday.

The arrest was executed under a warrant issued by German prosecutors.

They accuse Serhii K. of being one of the masterminds of the sabotage in 2022 of the Nord Stream pipelines that carry energy under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.

The operation to destroy the pipelines was carried out from a yacht, with a team that included divers and support operatives.

This is the first arrest in a case that Swedish and Danish authorities had closed in 2024 without resolution.

German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig commended the operation and reaffirmed Germany's commitment to the rule of law, distancing this case from its unwavering support for Ukraine.