Italian police have arrested a Ukrainian citizen suspected of coordinating attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the months following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, CNN reported. 

The explosions, which occurred nearly three years ago, caused gas leaks from Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 — two major pipelines that transport Russian gas to Europe — and prompted a massive operation to identify those responsible for the incident.

The cause of the explosions was the subject of intense speculation and further fueled political tensions in Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Neither pipeline was actively transporting gas to Europe at the time of the leaks, although they still contained pressurized gas. Both Ukraine and Russia denied any involvement. 

The German Federal Prosecutor's Office announced the arrest. In a statement, they said that the suspect, referred to only as Serhiy K. in accordance with German data protection laws, "belongs to a group of people who placed explosive devices in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines near the island of Bornholm in September 2022."

Italian police confirmed the arrest of the suspect in Rimini, northern Italy, but gave no further details. He will appear before a German judge after his extradition.

The suspect and his accomplices used a sailing yacht to carry out the attack, traveling from the port of Rostock, German prosecutors said. They added that the vessel had been rented by a German company through intermediaries using false identity documents.

The breakthrough comes after German authorities issued an international arrest warrant in August 2024 for another Ukrainian man suspected of damaging the pipelines.

German media reported at the time that investigations had focused on a crew of six, including five men and one woman.

During their trip, the crew is suspected of diving into the Baltic Sea and attaching explosives to the massive Nord Stream pipelines, which subsequently detonated and damaged both lines, according to ARD, Die Zeit, and Süddeutsche Zeitung. | BGNES