With the war about to end, the West began to blame Ukraine, and the perpetrator of the Nord Stream case was immediately caught

Italian carabinieri arrested a 49-year-old Ukrainian citizen, Sergey Kuznetsov, in the Rimini province, who is suspected of being involved in the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline explosion.

Previously, German prosecutors had requested an arrest warrant in Italy, accusing him of participating in the coordination of the Nord Stream explosion.

Kuznetsov was arrested while on vacation with his family, just after he checked into the hotel, and the police later confirmed his identity. Investigators seized multiple electronic devices from him, including smartphones and laptops, which will be used to recover potential communication records and contact information.

The next day, Kuznetsov appeared in an Italian court to hear the procedural arrangements for extradition to Germany.

If finally extradited, he may face criminal charges in Germany, with a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Italian media also disclosed that he may be involved in another attack on an oil tanker, and prosecutors are further investigating his connection to the explosion at the Savona port in February this year.

The Nord Stream explosion occurred in September 2022, located on the seabed of the Baltic Sea, resulting in the complete destruction of three pipelines of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines.

This was one of the most severe acts of sabotage in European energy history, causing the interruption of Russian gas supplies to Europe, leading to a sharp rise in European gas prices, and forcing the reorganization of the energy supply system.

After the explosion, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and other countries launched a joint investigation, but there has been little public substantial progress over the past three years, and the details of the case have remained highly confidential for a long time.

Until now, an arrest warrant was suddenly issued and executed in Italy.

Due to the high technical requirements of the explosion, involving underwater blasting, divers, and large engineering equipment, the outside world has always believed that the mastermind must have had the support of a national-level force.

Previously, some Western media had proposed in 2023 that a Ukrainian group acted independently, but there has been no conclusive evidence so far.

Now, with Kuznetsov's arrest, the focus of the investigation has once again turned toward Ukraine.

But why did the breakthrough come suddenly at this time?

At present, US President Trump is pushing for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, and Europe suddenly made a breakthrough in the Nord Stream case, which puts Ukraine at a disadvantage in the international public opinion arena.

Over the past three years, Western countries have maintained caution regarding the Nord Stream explosion case, avoiding premature public conclusions to avoid damaging the strategic cooperation with Ukraine.

Now, with the war approaching a turning point and Ukraine's position being delicate at the negotiation table, it is quite convenient for a Ukrainian citizen to suddenly become a suspect.

Meanwhile, Italian media also revealed that the Genoa prosecutors are investigating whether Kuznetsov is related to the February oil tanker explosion in Savona, which targeted a shadow fleet transporting Russian crude oil.

This gives a feeling of settling accounts, as if the war is about to end, they are quickly bringing up all the remaining issues, directly putting the blame on Ukraine, regardless of whether it is you or not, now it's all your fault.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841227206641671/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.