(MENAFN) Russia has demanded an immediate meeting of the United Nations Security Council over the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions, following the recent arrest of a Ukrainian suspect in Italy. The request, made by a senior Russian diplomat, comes as tensions escalate surrounding the unresolved investigation.

Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's first deputy permanent representative to the UN, confirmed on social media that the Security Council session will be held on Aug. 26 at 4:00 p.m. EST (2000 GMT), under Panama's presidency. Moscow plans to highlight what it describes as Germany's "protracted and non-transparent" handling of the investigation into the blasts.

The case revolves around the arrest of Serhii K., a Ukrainian national detained in Italy on Thursday at Germany’s request. The 55-year-old is accused of involvement in the planting of explosives on the Nord Stream pipelines and allegedly played a key role as a coordinator of the operation.

Serhii K. has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that he was in Ukraine during the attack. He has also refused to voluntarily be extradited to Germany, where he could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the charges.

The explosions, which occurred on Sept. 26, 2022, caused significant damage to the Nord Stream network, including three of its four lines, and notably affected Nord Stream 2, which was not yet operational at the time.

Russian officials have consistently claimed that the sabotage was carried out with assistance from the United States. In response, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office has launched a criminal investigation, classifying the attack as an act of international terrorism.

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