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4h ago

German Investigators Identify Seven Suspects in Nord Stream Sabotage, Six Wanted and One Held in Italy

Extradition of the alleged coordinator from Italy is the next step, with yacht forensics and passport records central to the German case.

Austretendes Gas über der beschädigten Pipeline Nord Stream 2
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Luftbild von der Meeresoberfläche der Ostsee mit Luftblasen im Bereich der Nord-Stream-2-Pipeline
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Overview

  • A joint ARD, Süddeutsche Zeitung and Die Zeit investigation reports all seven members of the alleged 2022 sabotage team are identified as Ukrainian nationals, with arrest warrants for six and the seventh reported killed in December 2024.
  • Italian authorities detained 49-year-old Serhii K., described by German prosecutors as the alleged coordinator, and have not yet extradited him to Germany.
  • BKA teams linked the operation to the chartered yacht Andromeda, recovering fingerprints, DNA and explosive traces consistent with four timed HMX/RDX charges that ruptured three pipeline strings about 80 meters underwater.
  • Investigators say the team comprised a skipper (identified as Yuriy T.), an explosives specialist and four divers, and they matched DNA from Bundeswehr records for one member to traces found on the yacht.
  • Findings point to possible facilitation by Ukrainian state actors through genuine passports bearing false names and a reported diplomatic vehicle transfer from Poland, while German authorities note the investigation remains open and no charges have been filed.