Mysterious disappearance of Ukrainian officer

A Ukrainian officer suspected of involvement in the sabotage of Nord Stream has reportedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The officer, who is a known critic of Volodymyr Zelensky, has been in custody since last year on charges of abuse of power.

Senior officer Roman Czerwinski, associated with Ukrainian intelligence services, is believed to have played a crucial role in the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosion. According to the Washington Post and Der Spiegel, Czerwinski is suspected of sabotaging the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in September 2022, acting on orders from Kyiv authorities. Despite ongoing investigations in Denmark and Sweden, which have yet to pinpoint those responsible, and an ongoing investigation in Germany, Czerwinski has not confessed to any wrongdoing.

Czerwinski was arrested last year for abuse of power. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has accused him of inadvertently providing the Russian military with the location of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel at Kanatowo airport in the Kirovohrad region, leading to a strike on the airport by the Russian military. Czerwinski has consistently stated that the case against him is politically motivated.

His detention was set to end on April 19, 2024. A hearing was scheduled for that day, but it was not held, and Czerwinski was transferred to the detention centre in Kropyvnytskyi. From there, his whereabouts became unknown.

Ukrainian media has reported that neither Czerwinski's lawyers nor his family have been able to contact him. There's even uncertainty about whether he will arrive at the next detention centre. International media highlight that Roman Czerwinski is an outspoken critic of President Volodymyr Zelensky.