look news india
Major international action has once again come to light in the case of Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions, which have increased geopolitical tensions between Europe and Russia. Croatian police have arrested a Ukrainian diver, who is seriously suspected of being involved in a plot to blow up these strategic pipelines worth billions of euros. This arrest has been made on the basis of a European Arrest Warrant.
Arrested in Pula city of Croatia
This arrest has been made from Pula, a beautiful city in Croatia and famous for scuba diving. The town of Pula is very popular among professional and beginner divers due to its geographical location and lake-like coastal surroundings. Professional divers from all over the world come here during the summer. According to the German Federal Prosecution Department, the arrested Ukrainian suspect, identified as ‘Vladimir Z’ (full name protected for privacy reasons), is a highly skilled and trained scuba diver.
Investigative agencies believe that Vladimir Z was part of the main group that planted explosives as part of a well-planned conspiracy in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines located in the deep sea near Bornholm Island in Denmark.
Mysterious explosions took place in 2022
It is noteworthy that on September 26, 2022, there were a series of explosions in these pipelines passing through the depths of the Baltic Sea. Through these pipelines, natural gas was supplied directly from Russia to Germany and other European countries. However, after the start of the Russia–Ukraine war in February 2022, European countries began the process of reducing their dependence on Russian energy.
German prosecution officials say that the main purpose of blowing up these pipelines was to stop the revenue flowing to Russia, so that Moscow could not use those funds for its military activities. Investigation has also revealed that the blasts were carried out at an extreme depth of 70 to 80 meters, where the water pressure is very high. Planting powerful military grade explosives at sensitive locations at such depths requires special equipment and high skills of divers. However, the Ukrainian government has consistently denied any involvement in these attacks.
What were the Nord Stream pipelines?
The system for delivering gas directly from Russia to Germany consisted of two main pipelines, approximately 1220 to 1230 kilometers long. They were built by Russian energy giant ‘Gazprom’. Gas flow from Nord Stream 1 started in 2011, while Nord Stream 2 was ready, but due to geopolitical tension and cancellation of permission, commercial supply could never start.