Poland considers taking in suspect of Nord Stream bombing

2025-09-25 09:08:30

(MENAFN) According to reports, Poland reportedly contemplated granting asylum to a suspect linked to the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.
The Nord Stream pipelines, designed to transport Russian gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea, were damaged in September 2022 in an attack that German prosecutors attribute to a small group of Ukrainian nationals.

Citing sources, the newspaper reported that Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski repeatedly indicated he was willing to offer asylum to one suspect, identified as Vladimir Z., and even considered honoring him with a state award. Vladimir Z., described as a diving instructor, had been living near Warsaw at the time. After German authorities issued a European arrest warrant for him, Polish officials did not detain him, and he eventually fled to Ukraine.

German authorities questioned Poland’s inaction, which strained relations between the two countries. Polish officials defended their position, reportedly telling their German counterparts, “Why should we detain him? For us, he’s a hero,” citing that no conclusive proof had been presented against Vladimir Z.

Poland has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since 2022, providing weapons and urging the EU and NATO to impose stricter sanctions on Moscow. Polish leaders, including Sikorski, were also critical of the Nord Stream project, which bypassed Poland as a transit country and deprived it of gas revenue.

The German investigation has led to the arrest of another suspect, former military officer Sergey Kuznetsov, who was detained in Italy in August. Prosecutors allege Kuznetsov coordinated a team that rented a yacht and planted explosives on the pipelines using commercial diving equipment.

Russia has dismissed Berlin’s account, calling the claim that a small group of Ukrainians carried out the sabotage “ridiculous.” Following Kuznetsov’s arrest, Moscow called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting, accusing German authorities of a lack of transparency and frequent media leaks.

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