Report: Germany Zeroes in on Diver in Nord Stream Probe

Russia and Western nations have been pointing the finger at each other since September 2022, when explosions hit the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea, which carry gas from Russia to Germany. German prosecutors now reportedly have a suspect in their sights: A trio of German media outlets on Wednesday reported that federal prosecutors obtained an arrest warrant in June for a Ukrainian diving instructor named as Wolodymyr Z, reports the Guardian. The man was thought to have lived in Poland, but Polish prosecutors said he left the country for Ukraine in early July before he could be arrested. More to know:

• The last probe: Swedish and Danish authorities wrapped up their investigations in February, so German prosecutors are the only ones still on the case, reports the AP. The German media outlets added that investigators have also zeroed in on two more Ukrainian diving instructors, a man and a woman. But no arrest warrants have been issued in their names.
• Finger pointing: Russia has accused the US of being behind the Nord Stream sabotage, which the US has denied. The US was a vocal critic of the pipelines, however, believing them to weaken Europe's energy security by making the continent overly reliant on Russia.
• A Ukraine suggestion: German media reported in March 2023 that a pro-Ukraine group had a hand in the explosions. Ukraine has denied that it ordered the attack.
• A possible clue: German investigators last month said they found traces of explosives on a yacht that may have been hired to transport explosives used in the attack. The yacht was reportedly hired from a Ukrainian-owned company in Poland and then headed to the German port of Rostock.

(More Nord Stream stories.)