Berlin, Germany - German prosecutors have reportedly issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian man over the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines that run from Russia to Europe.

A European arrest warrant was requested in June for the man, whose last known address is in Poland, according to public broadcaster ARD and newspapers Die Zeit and the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

It is not clear yet why Polish authorities weren't able to arrest the suspect, they said, and the man is now believed to have taken flight.

German investigators believe the Ukrainian, named only as Volodymyr Z., was one of the divers who planted explosive devices on the Nord Stream pipelines, according to the reports.

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The federal prosecution service declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

German investigators have also identified two more Ukrainians, a man and a woman, who they believe acted as divers in the attacks, the reports said.

However, no arrest warrants have yet been issued for them.

Four large gas leaks were discovered in September 2022 on Nord Stream's two pipelines off the Danish island of Bornholm, with seismic institutes recording two underwater explosions just before.

The pipelines had been at the center of geopolitical tensions as Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in a suspected retaliation for Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The US and Russia have pointed the finger at each other, while in turn denying any involvement in a sabotage. Ukrainian actors had recently emerged as the main suspects in the case, though Kyiv has also rejected official government knowledge.

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While the leaks were in international waters, two were in Denmark's exclusive economic zone and two in Sweden's.

The pipelines were not in operation when the leaks occurred, but they still contained gas, which spewed up through the water and into the atmosphere.

Denmark, Sweden, and Germany all opened investigations into the explosions.

However, Denmark and Sweden both closed their investigations earlier this year.