A man from Ukraine was apprehended on Wednesday in Croatia in connection to underwater explosions that caused damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany in 2022, as confirmed by Germany’s federal prosecutor. The individual, identified as Vladimir Z., was arrested in Pula, Croatia, under a European warrant executed by local law enforcement. Prosecutors disclosed that Vladimir Z., a certified scuba diver, was part of a group that planted explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022. He is under strong suspicion of jointly orchestrating explosions, engaging in anti-constitutional sabotage, and destructing buildings and structures.
The arrest was welcomed by the German government, with Justice Ministry spokesperson Nicholas Limmer expressing satisfaction with the progress made by the federal prosecutor’s office in investigating the pipeline bombings. German federal prosecutors had previously pressed charges against another suspect, Serhii K., a former Ukrainian army officer, for his alleged involvement in the same explosions. Serhii K. was apprehended in Italy in August 2025 and later extradited to Germany in November, facing charges such as causing an explosion, property damage, disruption of public service, and complicity in war crimes through attacks on civilian assets.
Regarding the extradition process, Germany intends to pursue the extradition of the suspect despite a previous block by Poland on a similar request concerning an individual with the same name. The spokesperson confirmed that the blocked extradition in Poland involved the same person known as Volodymyr Zhuravlov. Poland’s opposition to the Nord Stream pipelines, viewing them as a tool for Russia to exert influence across Europe, was evident during Zhuravlov’s extradition hearing. Despite an existing arrest warrant, it remains unclear why Zhuravlov left Poland, with his lawyer citing a belief that the warrant only applied within Poland’s borders.
The underwater explosions on September 26, 2022, inflicted damage on pipelines transporting Russian natural gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea, escalating tensions amid the Ukraine conflict as European nations sought to reduce reliance on Russian energy supplies post the Russian invasion. The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, the primary gas route from Russia to Germany, and the Nord Stream 2, which was yet to be operational due to certification suspension following Russia’s invasion, were affected by the explosions. The U.S. has denied Russia’s accusations of orchestrating the blasts, with the explosions previously criticized by the U.S. and its allies for deepening Europe’s dependence on Russian gas. Similarly, the Ukrainian government has refuted any involvement in the sabotage plot.