German MP says Ukraine’s role in sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines needs clarification

BERLIN, August 20. /TASS/. Markus Frohnmaier, deputy head and foreign policy expert of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) faction in the Bundestag, has called for a full clarification of Ukraine’s role in the sabotage of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, his party said on X.

Frohnmaier described the detention of a new suspect in the case as "an important step towards investigating the most serious act of sabotage against Germany’s critical infrastructure. I expect Croatia to fully cooperate with the German investigative authorities and to extradite the suspect to Germany quickly."

He said it was the same suspect whom Poland previously refused to extradite to Germany.

"Next, it is necessary to fully clarify Ukraine’s role," he said, adding that the other criminals appear to be in Ukraine.

"It is unacceptable that Berlin is not exerting significant political pressure on Kiev to compel it to fully cooperate in the investigation of the terrorist attack." The deputy called for identifying and holding to account "the perpetrators, organizers, and possible state patrons" of the attack, regardless of the positions of Poland or Ukraine.

On Wednesday, the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office said a Ukrainian citizen who is believed to have participated in the sabotage of the gas pipelines was detained in Croatia. According to the investigation, the detainee is a professional diver and was among those who planted explosives on the pipelines near the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. He, as the prosecutor’s office noted, participated in the dives. The office reiterated its version, according to which the saboteurs rented a sailing yacht from one of the German companies using forged documents and used it to deliver the explosives to the Nord Stream pipelines. It is expected that the detainee will be handed over to Germany and will come before an investigative judge.