Paris —
It was a late September night when muffled blasts and a stream of bubbles broke the surface of the Baltic Sea. Explosions had ripped through the two Nord Stream gas pipelines, Russia’s gas highway into Europe, months after Moscow’s full invasion of Ukraine. Years later, shockwaves from that night are still rippling across the continent.
The 2022 attack on the hugely controversial pipelines triggered an international whodunnit, with suspicion falling immediately on Russia and even the US being forced to deny involvement.
Today, intrigue continues to swirl around the blasts even as Germany readies a prosecution against the suspected Ukrainian saboteurs. And Poland’s efforts to stymie the case – seemingly to shield its ally Ukraine - has thrown up new tensions in Europe.
Germany seems determined for Nord Stream to gets its day in court, filing arrest warrants for two Ukrainian men – Volodymyr Zhuravlov, who was detained in Poland, and Serhii Kuznietsov, who was detained in Italy - suspected of involvement in the blast.
Leaders of other nations have cast doubt on whether criminal proceedings should be brought against those allegedly responsible.
Ukrainian diver Volodymyr Zhuravlyov walks free from court after a judge denied Germany's extradition request and lifted his pretr
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