In brief
A Ukrainian national, believed to be Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, has been detained in Croatia on suspicion of helping sabotage the Nord Stream pipelines that connect Russia to Germany. German authorities say he was a trained scuba diver who took part in the underwater explosions in September 2022. This arrest follows the release of a previous suspect in Poland and highlights the deepening tensions between Kyiv and Berlin. Extradition proceedings are underway, with German courts awaiting the suspect’s extradition from Croatia.
A Ukrainian national has been taken into custody by Croatian authorities on suspicion of helping sabotage the Nord Stream gas pipelines that link Russia to Germany.
The suspect, identified by German prosecutors as Volodymyr Zhuravlyov—a trained scuba diver—would have been part of a team that placed explosives on the under‑sea pipelines during the September 2022 explosions that left a third of the system damaged.
This is the second arrest in the case. The first was a Polish man released in 2025 after the Polish court refused Germany’s extradition request, citing reasons that Ukrainian involvement might be considered a “just act.”
Germany now seeks extradition of Zhuravlyov from Croatia. If approved, he will appear before an investigating judge in Hamburg to face charges of sabotage and planning the explosions.
The Nord Stream blasts have intensified diplomatic strains between Kyiv and Berlin, with Kyiv consistently denying any role in the attacks. Poland and the United States have long opposed the pipelines, arguing they made Berlin overly dependent on Russian gas.
Analysts say the arrests could further blur the divide over the conflict in Ukraine, as the sabotage was initially blamed on Moscow until Ukrainian involvement emerged.
