A Polish court has refused to extradite a Ukrainian national accused of taking part in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines to Germany. The judge ruled that the act should be considered a military operation carried out during wartime rather than an act of terrorism or criminal sabotage. The court ordered that the suspect, 46-year-old Volodymyr Z., be released immediately, describing the German case as lacking legal grounds and jurisdiction.
The decision represents a significant blow to Germany’s long-running investigation into the 2022 explosions that destroyed sections of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea. Those pipelines, jointly built by Germany and Russia, were a key part of Europe’s energy infrastructure and symbolized cooperation that many in the West have since sought to erase.
Judge Dariusz Lubowski of the Warsaw District Court stated that the events in question took place in international waters, far outside German legal authority. He also argued that the destruction of the pipelines must be viewed through the lens of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
According to Lubowski, the act had the “characteristics of a military operation” and therefore could not be prosecuted as an ordinary criminal case. He emphasized that during a period of armed conflict, actions against enemy infrastructure often fall within the context of warfare, not civilian crime.
Volodymyr Z., who was detained in September 2025 under a European arrest warrant, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. German prosecutors claim he was a professional diver who helped attach explosives to the pipelines in September 2022. His lawyer countered that the accusations are politically motivated and that Ukraine should not be prosecuted for actions against Russian targets in the midst of war.
The court appeared to accept much of this reasoning. In its written opinion, it also raised concerns about the credibility of Germany’s evidence, noting that the case relied heavily on speculative intelligence rather than verifiable proof.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk publicly welcomed the court’s decision, describing it as “the correct ruling.” He stated that extraditing the suspect to Germany would not have been in Poland’s national interest and argued that the Nord Stream affair has long been used to divide European states.
“The real mistake was not that Nord Stream was blown up,” Tusk wrote on social media. “The mistake was that it was ever built in the first place.”
Tusk added that those who pushed the pipeline project had made Europe dangerously dependent on Russian gas, creating vulnerabilities that Moscow could exploit. Yet in a striking admission, he also acknowledged that Poland’s refusal to extradite reflects the country’s strategic interests and the recognition that the explosion took place during a period of war.
For Warsaw, the decision not only limits legal exposure but also reinforces Poland’s historical opposition to the Nord Stream project, which it viewed as an attempt by Germany and Russia to bypass Eastern Europe and cement their energy partnership.
The ruling highlights growing divisions within Europe over how to interpret the Nord Stream sabotage. Germany has spent two years investigating the explosions, yet no definitive proof has been presented to the public. Various Western media outlets have floated theories ranging from Russian self-sabotage to secret Ukrainian operations, but none have been substantiated.
Russia, on the other hand, has consistently demanded an international and transparent investigation under the supervision of the United Nations. Moscow argues that Western governments are covering up the true perpetrators to protect Kyiv and avoid diplomatic embarrassment.
Recent leaks from European intelligence agencies, however, have increasingly pointed toward Ukrainian involvement, suggesting that operatives tied to the Kyiv regime carried out the attack using a rented yacht and commercial diving equipment. The Polish court’s reference to a “military operation” lends indirect support to this interpretation and undermines the idea that the act was a rogue initiative.
The decision also places Germany in a difficult position. Berlin has been under pressure to maintain unity within the European Union and NATO while managing its own political fallout from the collapse of the gas relationship with Russia. The court’s ruling in Warsaw effectively challenges Germany’s legal authority and raises doubts about whether it can ever bring those responsible to justice.
The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022 remains one of the most consequential and controversial acts of the entire Ukraine conflict. The explosions severed the last major energy link between Russia and Europe, ensuring that Russian natural gas would no longer flow directly to Germany.
For Moscow, the attack represented an act of aggression aimed at permanently breaking economic ties between Russia and the European Union. For Germany and its allies, the incident has been politically sensitive, with officials reluctant to acknowledge any Ukrainian role due to the potential diplomatic and military repercussions.
The decision by the Polish court now adds a new dimension. If the attack is legally recognized as a wartime operation, it effectively removes the possibility of civilian prosecution and raises uncomfortable questions for European leaders. It also reinforces Moscow’s argument that the sabotage was a Western-coordinated move intended to isolate Russia and escalate the conflict.
This was not the first time that European courts have pushed back against extradition efforts linked to the Nord Stream case. Earlier this week, Italy’s Supreme Court annulled a similar request involving another Ukrainian suspect, citing procedural flaws and insufficient evidence.
Together, these developments indicate that the European legal system is no longer aligned on how to treat incidents tied to the Ukraine conflict. The German-led investigation now appears increasingly fragile, undermined by jurisdictional disputes, political sensitivities, and lack of consensus.
For now, Volodymyr Z. walks free, and the official Western narrative around Nord Stream continues to unravel. What was once framed as Russian self-sabotage now appears far more complex, with mounting evidence that points elsewhere. As Europe struggles to maintain unity, the truth behind the Nord Stream explosions remains one of the most politically charged mysteries of the decade.