Polish customs authorities have confirmed that men who bombed the Nord Stream pipeline in 2022 entered Poland with forged Bulgarian passports, according to investigations by the ‘Rzeczpospolita’ newspaper.
Fraudulent Bulgarian Passports Confirmed
Polish border officials and prosecutors, after three years of investigation, concluded that men and a woman who bombed the Nord Stream pipeline used forged Bulgarian passports when entering Poland. The passports were verified at the Szczecin port border guard and later confirmed by the Pomeranian Division of Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor’s Office using evidence from Bulgaria.
The prosecutor has not released further details at this time, spokesperson Przemysław Nowak said.
Ukrainian Suspect Serhij K. Detained and Extradited
At the end of November a German court ordered the arrest of Ukrainian national Serhij K., who arrived in Germany from Italy. He is alleged to have led a group responsible for the 2022 explosions on the Nord Stream pipeline segment between Russia and Germany. Detained in August, his lawyers initially resisted extradition; the Ukrainian protester also went on a hunger strike. The court ultimately rejected all defense requests and approved extradition to Germany.
Investigators accuse K. of coordinating the operation, using a rented yacht and fake identity documents, with intermediaries operating near Bornholm. The charges were detonated on 26 September 2022, severely damaging both pipelines.
Volodymyr Z. Extradition Denied in Poland
The Warsaw District Court declined to extradite Ukrainian Volodymyr Z. to Germany and lifted his provisional detention, making the European Arrest Warrant inapplicable. The case highlights differing legal responses within the EU concerning suspects linked to Nord Stream sabotage.
Z.’s lawyer told ‘Rzeczpospolita’ that his client has “returned to normal life, family, and work.”