Russia requests urgent UN Security Council meeting on Nord Stream blasts

MOSCOW - Russia has requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations (UN) Security Council on the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions, following the arrest of a Ukrainian suspect in Italy, a senior Russian diplomat said Friday on social media.

Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's first deputy permanent representative to the UN, said that the meeting will take place on Aug 26 at 4:00 pm EST (2000 GMT) under the presidency of Panama.

He said Moscow will draw attention to the "protracted and non-transparent" nature of Germany's investigation into the blasts.

German prosecutors said the Ukrainian national, identified as Serhii K., was detained Thursday in Italy at Germany's request. He is suspected of being part of a group that planted explosive devices on Nord Stream pipelines, and allegedly served as one of the coordinators of the operation.

Serhii K. has reportedly denied any involvement, saying he was in Ukraine at the time of the incident, and refused voluntary extradition to Germany, where he could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

On Sept 26, 2022, unprecedented explosions caused severe damage to the Nord Stream pipelines, including three of the four lines of Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2, the latter of which had not been put into operation.

Russian officials have repeatedly asserted that the sabotage was carried out with US support. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has opened a criminal case, classifying the incident as an act of international terrorism.