00:00This is what it looked like in the Baltic Sea in September of 2022,
00:04following an international act of sabotage.
00:07Gas bubbling up from the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines,
00:11results of a well-coordinated attack.
00:14On Thursday, almost three years later, authorities in Germany announced an arrest.
00:20After three years of meticulous detective work,
00:23it's truly an impressive investigative success.
00:26The explosions were so powerful, they registered as seismic activity
00:32along the gas pipelines which run from Russia to Germany
00:35and came just months after Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine.
00:40German prosecutors identified the suspect as Serhi K., a Ukrainian national,
00:45saying he had been taken into custody in a seaside resort on Italy's east coast.
00:52Investigators say the suspect helped coordinate the bombing,
00:55carried out by divers who charted a sailboat from a German port using fake IDs and licenses,
01:02and planted explosive devices along the underwater pipelines.
01:06The pipelines were not operational at the time.
01:09Because of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Germany refused to use Nord Stream 2,
01:13and Russia itself had cut off gas from Nord Stream 1
01:16in apparent retaliation for Europe's support for Kyiv.
01:20Ukraine has denied any involvement in the act of sabotage,
01:23and despite the nationality of the suspect,
01:25German prosecutors said the arrest demonstrated continued support for Ukraine.
01:31We stand with Ukraine, and we will continue to stand with Ukraine.
01:35What is important to me is that we are a country governed by the rule of law,
01:39and that we thoroughly investigate crimes committed within our jurisdiction.
01:43German prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for another Ukrainian man last seen in Poland.
01:49The suspect in custody is expected to be transferred to Germany
01:53to face criminal charges and possibly a trial.
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