The Swedish newspaper Expressen (which is part of the reporting consortium covering the case) identified the man as Volodymyr Zurablov.
In September 2022, an undersea explosion damaged three of the four Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines carrying gas from Russia to Germany, sending geopolitical shockwaves around the world. The question of who is responsible remains unanswered, with blame being placed on Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Nord Stream 1 had been in operation since 2011, and Nord Stream 2 was completed but not yet pumping gas at the time of the attack. The pipeline has been extremely controversial, with Ukraine, the United States, Poland and others accusing Germany of complicity in Russia’s gas exports. This position became untenable after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Denmark and Sweden also opened investigations into the explosions, but have dropped them without naming any suspects.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously denied any involvement by Kiev.
German prosecutors’ investigation into the bombing has named two other Ukrainian nationals, a couple who run a diving school in Ukraine, where Zurablov worked as a diving instructor.
