ITALY – A Ukrainian citizen, Serhij K, who’s a suspect in the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, was arrested by Italian police near the northern Italian city of Rimini on a European arrest warrant.

From local reports, he was among those aboard the yacht Andromeda, which investigators believe was used in the operation.

According to German investigators, the Ukrainian suspect played a coordinating role in the operation rather than being one of the divers who placed explosives on the pipelines. German government officials have not yet issued a statement about the arrest.

A German investigation concluded in 2023 that a pro-Ukrainian group was behind the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage. The team that carried out the attack reportedly consisted of two divers, two assistants, a captain, and a medic.

The 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines was an unprecedented attack that caused extensive damage to the infrastructure connecting Russia and Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. The Ukrainian government has repeatedly denied any involvement.