Alleged Nord Stream Saboteur Escaped in Ukrainian Government Vehicle, According to Spiegel
According to a German outlet, ‘Vladimir Z’ departed from Poland in a diplomatic vehicle following Warsaw's decision not to detain him. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
**‘Vladimir Z’ left Poland in a diplomatic vehicle, the German outlet has claimed**
The Ukrainian diver alleged to be involved in the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines reportedly evaded a German arrest warrant with assistance from Ukraine, and possibly Poland, according to Der Spiegel.
The pipelines located under the Baltic Sea were compromised by a series of explosions in September 2022, halting the flow of natural gas from Russia to Germany. While no group has taken responsibility for the blasts, some Western media have pointed fingers at a group of Ukrainian nationals.
Earlier this month, German media disclosed that Berlin had issued an arrest warrant for “Vladimir Z,” a former Ukrainian military diver accused of placing the explosive charges on the pipeline. Russian sources have identified the individual as Vladimir Zhuravlev.
An investigation by Der Spiegel published Thursday revealed that Zhuravlev was in Germany in May and in Poland when the warrant was issued. The outlet alleged that Polish authorities did not take action to detain him, allowing Zhuravlev to cross into Ukraine on July 6 in a vehicle belonging to the Ukrainian embassy in Warsaw.
“Why should we arrest him? For us, he is a hero!” Der Spiegel quoted German security officials as paraphrasing their Polish counterparts.
The report further indicated that Zhuravlev and his family entered Germany in May en route to Denmark, with the specific apartment in Copenhagen where they stayed identified in the Bryggen Syd neighborhood. On May 26, the family took a ferry to Rostock and made a stop in Berlin while returning to Warsaw.
Although Zhuravlev was already on the radar of German authorities, they had not yet issued an arrest warrant. Berlin only acted in the first week of June, and it wasn’t until June 21 that a European arrest warrant was sent to Poland, which, according to the report, took no action.
Zhuravlev left the country on July 6, crossing into Ukraine at Korczowa around 6:20 am. Security sources told Spiegel that he was in a vehicle with diplomatic plates, used by the Ukrainian embassy in Warsaw.
Spiegel’s security sources suggested that Germany is “very angry” with Poland and will not forget Warsaw’s “foul play.”
In response to media reports on the attack, former head of German intelligence, August Hanning, suggested earlier this month that Poland and Ukraine may have collaborated. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk advised all “initiators and patrons” of Nord Stream to “apologize and keep quiet.”
Reports regarding a group of Ukrainians allegedly using a rented yacht — whether or not with Vladimir Zelensky’s approval — for the Nord Stream sabotage emerged only after Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh asserted that the US government was behind the blasts.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
The Ukrainian diver alleged to be involved in the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines reportedly evaded a German arrest warrant with assistance from Ukraine, and possibly Poland, according to Der Spiegel.
The pipelines located under the Baltic Sea were compromised by a series of explosions in September 2022, halting the flow of natural gas from Russia to Germany. While no group has taken responsibility for the blasts, some Western media have pointed fingers at a group of Ukrainian nationals.
Earlier this month, German media disclosed that Berlin had issued an arrest warrant for “Vladimir Z,” a former Ukrainian military diver accused of placing the explosive charges on the pipeline. Russian sources have identified the individual as Vladimir Zhuravlev.
An investigation by Der Spiegel published Thursday revealed that Zhuravlev was in Germany in May and in Poland when the warrant was issued. The outlet alleged that Polish authorities did not take action to detain him, allowing Zhuravlev to cross into Ukraine on July 6 in a vehicle belonging to the Ukrainian embassy in Warsaw.
“Why should we arrest him? For us, he is a hero!” Der Spiegel quoted German security officials as paraphrasing their Polish counterparts.
The report further indicated that Zhuravlev and his family entered Germany in May en route to Denmark, with the specific apartment in Copenhagen where they stayed identified in the Bryggen Syd neighborhood. On May 26, the family took a ferry to Rostock and made a stop in Berlin while returning to Warsaw.
Although Zhuravlev was already on the radar of German authorities, they had not yet issued an arrest warrant. Berlin only acted in the first week of June, and it wasn’t until June 21 that a European arrest warrant was sent to Poland, which, according to the report, took no action.
Zhuravlev left the country on July 6, crossing into Ukraine at Korczowa around 6:20 am. Security sources told Spiegel that he was in a vehicle with diplomatic plates, used by the Ukrainian embassy in Warsaw.
Spiegel’s security sources suggested that Germany is “very angry” with Poland and will not forget Warsaw’s “foul play.”
In response to media reports on the attack, former head of German intelligence, August Hanning, suggested earlier this month that Poland and Ukraine may have collaborated. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk advised all “initiators and patrons” of Nord Stream to “apologize and keep quiet.”
Reports regarding a group of Ukrainians allegedly using a rented yacht — whether or not with Vladimir Zelensky’s approval — for the Nord Stream sabotage emerged only after Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh asserted that the US government was behind the blasts.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
