A man from Ukraine was taken into custody on Wednesday in Croatia in connection with the underwater blasts that caused damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany in 2022, as per Germany’s federal prosecutor. The individual, identified as Vladimir Z., was apprehended in Pula, Croatia, under a European warrant by local law enforcement. Prosecutors mentioned that Vladimir Z., a certified scuba diver, was part of a group responsible for planting explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022. Charges against him include involvement in causing explosions, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of structures.
The German government expressed satisfaction with the arrest, emphasizing the importance of clarifying the pipeline bombings. Earlier last month, German federal prosecutors pressed charges against a former Ukrainian army officer, Serhii K., related to the same incidents. Serhii K., who was detained in Italy in August 2025 and extradited to Germany in November, faces allegations of explosion, property damage, disruption of public service, and complicity in war crimes by targeting civilian objects. German authorities claimed that Serhii K. and accomplices departed from the port of Rostock using a yacht rented from a German firm.
Germany intends to seek the extradition of the suspect, despite previous resistance from Poland, which had blocked the extradition of a person with the same initial name in the past year. The individual, identified as Volodymyr Zhuravlov by Polish authorities, is confirmed to be the same individual in custody now. Poland’s opposition to the Nord Stream pipelines, considering them a Russian ploy to exert influence in Europe using energy resources, led to its reluctance in handing over Volodymyr Zhuravlov. The reason for Zhuravlov’s departure from Poland despite the outstanding arrest warrant remains unclear.
The explosions on September 26, 2022, inflicted damage on the Nord Stream pipelines, designed to transport Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea. These incidents exacerbated tensions amid the Ukraine conflict, prompting European nations to reduce reliance on Russian energy sources post the Kremlin’s invasion. The blasts impacted the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, previously a key route for Russian gas to Germany until Moscow halted supplies in August 2022. Additionally, Nord Stream 2 suffered damage, with its certification process suspended by Germany just before the Russian invasion, preventing it from becoming operational.
Russia has accused the U.S. of orchestrating the explosions, an allegation denied by Washington. The U.S. and some allies had criticized the pipelines for increasing Europe’s dependence on Russian gas. Similarly, the Ukrainian government has refuted any involvement in the sabotage plot.