Polish police discovered a second Ukrainian passport for suspected saboteur Wołodymyr Z. and extended his 40‑day detention while his extradition to Germany proceeds.
Second passport discovered
In Wołodymyr Z.’s house in Pruszków, police uncovered a second Ukrainian passport. The male suspect, accused of striking the Nord Stream pipeline in 2022, now holds two documents issued under the same name.
His lawyer, Tymoteusz Paprocki, explained that one passport allows international travel while the other functions as an internal document akin to a Polish ID card. He said the client “did not want to hide anything” and that the second document would enable the suspect to leave Poland.
Items seized and transferred to Germany
During the raid, authorities seized digital media and a commercial diver’s suit, subsequently hand‑overed to German authorities. The diver’s suit was identified as hobby equipment used by the suspect.
40‑day detention extended by Warsaw court
On 6 October, Warsaw’s District Court extended the suspect’s detainment for 40 days pending extradition to Germany. The lawyer has filed an appeal, hoping for a bail hearing.
He noted that the prosecutor had submitted a request supporting the legal basis for delivering Wołodymyr Z. to German authorities, and that the defendant has strong ties to Poland, reducing the flight risk.
Background: alleged Nord Stream sabotage
On 26 September 2022, three of the four cables of Nord Stream 1 and 2 were damaged. The pipeline, 1 222 km long at roughly 80 m below the Baltic Sea, transported natural gas from Russia to Germany since 2011.
Wołodymyr Z., a 49‑year‑old Ukrainian, denies any involvement, claiming he was in Ukraine when the incident occurred. If extradited, he faces up to 15 years in German prison for “constitutional sabotage.”