Warsaw: A Ukrainian suspect being held in Poland in connection with the 2022 blasts that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea is to remain in custody while investigations proceed, a Warsaw court ruled on Monday.

According to Ghana News Agency, Volodymyr Z, who is wanted in Germany, will be detained for a further 40 days, his lawyer stated. The court determined that the 46-year-old accused, who was arrested in Pruszkow near Warsaw early on Tuesday, posed a flight risk.

German prosecutors describe Volodymyr Z as a trained diver, suspected of being part of a group that placed explosives on the pipelines near Bornholm island in the autumn of 2022. The alleged mastermind behind the sabotage was arrested in Italy at the end of August. German prosecutors accuse Serhiy K, a Ukrainian aged 49, of jointly causing an explosion and anti-constitutional sabotage. He is awaiting extradition to Germany.

Volodymyr Z faces similar charges, and his extradition from Poland is expected to take weeks or even months. The attacks, which put both pipelines out of operation, drew international attention. Four leaks were found on three of the four lines.

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline had carried gas to Germany directly from Russia. Nord Stream 2 did not go into operation due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.