A Ukrainian diving instructor accused of participating in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines has been detained in Poland, with German authorities seeking his extradition. The suspect, identified by German investigators as Vladimir Z., was arrested in Pruszkow and will undergo extradition proceedings in Warsaw, according to reports. His legal team claims there is no legal basis for his transfer to Germany.

German prosecutors have linked the man to a seven-member group that allegedly operated aboard the yacht Andromeda, which they claim was involved in the undersea pipeline explosions. The suspect was previously named as Vladimir Zhuravlyov, with media reports suggesting he fled to Ukraine after Polish officials reportedly obstructed an arrest request in 2024.

Polish media revealed earlier this month that authorities considered granting asylum to Zhuravlyov, with a source describing him as a “hero” for his actions. Meanwhile, Italian police arrested another alleged member of the group, Sergey Kuznetsov, under a German European arrest warrant last month.

Moscow has criticized Germany and its allies for allegedly hindering the investigation into the sabotage, accusing them of avoiding accountability for state actors. The Kremlin suggested that if Ukraine is confirmed as the perpetrator, responsibility would extend to former U.S. President Joe Biden for “encouraging” such actions.