A man from Ukraine was apprehended in Croatia on Wednesday for his involvement in the underwater blasts that caused damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines connecting Russia and Germany in 2022, as confirmed by Germany’s federal prosecutor. The individual, identified as Vladimir Z., was taken into custody in Pula, Croatia, under a European warrant. According to prosecutors, Vladimir Z., a trained scuba diver, was part of a group responsible for placing explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022. He is suspected of playing a role in causing explosions, engaging in anti-constitutional sabotage, and destroying buildings and structures.
The arrest of Vladimir Z. was welcomed by the German government, with the justice ministry spokesperson Nicholas Limmer expressing satisfaction with the progress made in the investigation. Earlier last month, German federal prosecutors pressed charges against a former Ukrainian army officer, Serhii K., in connection with the same incidents. Serhii K. was apprehended in Italy in August 2025 and later extradited to Germany in November, facing charges related to explosion offenses, property damage, disruption of public services, and complicity in war crimes by targeting civilian objects. German authorities allege that Serhii K. and his associates departed from the port of Rostock using a yacht rented from a German firm.
In a separate development, Poland prevented the extradition of an individual with the same name and initial as the suspect in question. The man, identified as Volodymyr Zhuravlov by Polish authorities, was confirmed to be the same individual by a spokesperson for The Associated Press. Poland’s opposition to the Nord Stream pipelines, believing them to be a Russian strategy to exert influence across Europe using energy resources, was highlighted during Zhuravlov’s extradition hearing. Despite an arrest warrant, it remains unclear why Zhuravlov left Poland, with his lawyer stating that he was aware the warrant was only applicable within Poland’s borders.
Following undersea explosions on September 26, 2022, that damaged the pipelines meant to transport Russian natural gas to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea, tensions escalated amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict. The blasts impacted the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, previously serving as Russia’s primary gas supply route to Germany until supplies were halted in August 2022. Additionally, Nord Stream 2 suffered damage, with its certification process suspended by Germany just before the Russian invasion. Accusations by Russia claiming U.S. involvement in orchestrating the explosions have been refuted by Washington. The U.S. and its allies had criticized the pipelines for heightening European reliance on Russian gas. The Ukrainian government has also denied any involvement in the sabotage.
