Germany criticized by Russia over investigation into Nord Stream attack

The Russian authorities have complained to the German government about the way the investigation into the 2022 bombing of the Nord Stream pipelines is being conducted. The complaint concerns the main suspect avoiding arrest in Poland, Reuters reported on Monday, citing the RIA Novosti agency.

German media reported last week that German prosecutors identified a Ukrainian dive instructor as the main suspect in the attack on Nord Stream and handed over the arrest warrant to the Polish authorities.

Poland received the warrant, but the suspect had already left its territory because Germany did not enter his name into the wanted persons database, Polish prosecutors told Reuters.

"Russia believes that the German investigation will be closed without identifying the perpetrators," wrote the RIA Novosti agency, citing Oleg Tyapkin, head of the European department of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“We have raised the issue of Germany and other relevant countries fulfilling their obligations under the UN anti-terrorism conventions. We have officially lodged appropriate bilateral complaints in this matter, including to Germany,” Tyapkin said.

The American newspaper Wall Street Journal reported last week that the attack on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines can be traced back to the Ukrainian authorities. President Volodymyr Zelensky's advisor, Mykhailo Podolyak, denied this.

At the same time, the former head of the German foreign intelligence (BND), August Hanning, expressed his belief in an interview with the editors of the "Die Welt" daily that the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines must have occurred with Poland's support and approval at the highest level—from Ukrainian President Zelensky and Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk addressed all "patrons and initiators of Nord Stream 1 and 2" on platform X on Saturday. "You should do only one thing with it today: apologize and keep quiet," he wrote.

On September 26, 2022, three of the four Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines were destroyed at a depth of about 80 metres (roughly 262 feet) on the bottom of the Baltic Sea. For years, a large portion of Russian natural gas for Germany had been directly supplied via Nord Stream 1. Many Eastern and Western European countries repeatedly criticized the project and warned of the geopolitical consequences of bypassing Eastern Europe in the transit of the raw material.

Many Eastern and Western European countries repeatedly criticized this project, warning of the geopolitical consequences of bypassing Eastern Europe in the transit of the raw material. During Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Moscow suspended gas supplies even before the destruction of Nord Stream 1. Meanwhile, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was ultimately not put into operation due to the Russian invasion and the resulting political disputes.