Sergei K., is believed to have led the operation and the sabotage group, ARD reported. He was allegedly part of the crew of the Andromeda, a yacht that Ukrainians are said to have used for sabotage on the gas pipeline.
On Thursday, Italian carabinieri arrested a 49-year-old Ukrainian in the province of Rimini. The suspect was arrested after coming to Italy on vacation with his family. The carabinieri identified him after he checked into a hotel.
The Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas links were hit by explosions in September 2022. Germany, Denmark and Sweden did not rule out an act of sabotage. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office opened an investigation into the attack on suspicion of international terrorism. Russia repeatedly requested data on other countries' investigations into the explosions but never received it, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.