Ukrainian Accused of Nord Stream Explosion Has Detention Extended by 40 Days

Volodymyr Z., the Ukrainian accused of blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipeline, has had his detention extended for 40 days by the District Court in Warsaw.

Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland, shared this in a comment to Militarnyi.

According to Onet Wiadomosci, the prosecution had requested a 100-day detention.

A Ukrainian citizen was detained in Poland on September 30 at the request of Germany and is accused of involvement in the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage. In Poland, this is classified as “hostile constitutional sabotage, intentional explosion of explosive material, and destruction of a structure.”

On October 1, the District Court imposed a temporary detention measure on the accused for a period of 7 days. On October 6, another court hearing regarding the detention took place.

“The Ukrainian Consulate in Warsaw is providing comprehensive assistance to the detained individual and has already met with him before the court’s decision,” Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland, said in a comment to Militarnyi.

Lawyer Tymoteusz Paprocki represents the interests of the accused in court. You can read on how the defense process will unfold in an exclusive comment for Militarnyi in the article.

Protests

The detention of a Ukrainian citizen accused of sabotaging the Nord Stream pipeline has caused public outcry and protests outside the District Court building in Warsaw.

“On Monday, dozens of people gathered in front of the court building to protest the arrest of the Ukrainian and demand his release. They carried Polish and Ukrainian flags, as well as banners with slogans in support of Volodymyr Z.,” Onet Wiadomosci reports.

The law firm representing the man also gathered signatures for letters of support. According to his lawyer, over 2,000 signatures were collected, RMF24 writes.

Background of the Detention

As a result of the explosion on September 26, 2022, in the Baltic Sea, both Nord Stream pipelines, running from Russia to Germany, were damaged. Three out of four strands of the pipeline have been affected.

In Germany, the Ukrainian is accused of involvement in planting explosive devices on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, acting in the role of a diver.