German media have reported that a suspect in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions was a Ukrainian military officer at the time of the incident.
According to Der Spiegel, a Ukrainian national suspected of involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines has been confirmed as serving in a Ukrainian special forces unit when the explosions occurred.
A letter from Ukraine's Ministry of Defense cited by the magazine said that the suspect held the rank of captain in a special operations unit between 2022 and 2023.
The report added that a former Ukrainian military officer has also confirmed the suspect served under his command during that period.
The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which run under the Baltic Sea and connect Russia with Germany and other European countries, were partially destroyed by explosions on September 26, 2022.
The suspect was arrested in Italy's Rimini province in August this year and was extradited to Germany on November 27.
Former Ukrainian military officer identified as Nord Stream Pipeline blast suspect
Former Ukrainian military officer identified as Nord Stream Pipeline blast suspect
Impact of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is pushing Gulf countries to revisit costly plans for pipelines to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, so that they can continue to export oil and gas, the Financial Times newspaper reported on Thursday.
"Officials and industry executives say new pipelines may be the only way to reduce Gulf countries' enduring vulnerability to disruption in the strait, even though such projects would be expensive, politically complex and take years to complete," said the report.
"Previous plans for pipelines across the region have repeatedly stalled, undone by high costs and complexity," it said.
The Strait of Hormuz is a vital global energy corridor bordered by Iran to the north.
Around a fifth of global liquefied natural gas supply passed through the Strait of Hormuz, which also carries about one quarter of global seaborne oil trade.
Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities on Feb. 28, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes against Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East, while tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz by restricting passage to vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States.
Gulf countries consider new pipelines to avoid Strait of Hormuz: Financial Times
