A Ukrainian individual was apprehended in Croatia on Wednesday in connection with underwater blasts that caused damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany in 2022, as confirmed by Germany’s federal prosecutor. The arrested person, identified as Vladimir Z., was taken into custody in Pula, Croatia, under a European warrant by local law enforcement. Prosecutors stated 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 participating in causing explosions, engaging in anti-constitutional sabotage, and destroying buildings and structures.
The German government expressed satisfaction with the arrest, emphasizing the importance of investigating the pipeline bombings. Earlier last month, German federal prosecutors pressed charges against a former Ukrainian army officer, Serhii K., linked to the same explosions. Serhii K., who was detained in Italy in August 2025 and later extradited to Germany in November, faces charges related to explosion-causing activities, property damage, disruption of public services, and alleged involvement in war crimes by targeting civilian assets. 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. Poland had previously rejected a similar extradition request for an individual with the same name. A spokesperson confirmed that the individual in question was Volodymyr Zhuravlov according to Polish authorities. Poland’s resistance to the Nord Stream pipelines, viewing them as a Russian ploy to leverage energy resources across Europe, was emphasized. The decision not to extradite Zhuravlov was based on Poland’s interests. Zhuravlov’s departure from Poland despite an existing arrest warrant remains unclear.
The undersea explosions on September 26, 2022, caused damage to pipelines designed to transport Russian natural gas to Germany through the Baltic Sea. The incident escalated tensions amid Europe’s efforts to reduce dependence on Russian energy following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, Russia’s primary gas supply route to Germany, was ruptured by the explosions, leading to a suspension of gas supplies by Moscow. Nord Stream 2, which was not operational due to Germany halting its certification process before the invasion, also suffered damage.
Russia has accused the U.S. of orchestrating the explosions, an allegation that Washington has refuted. The U.S. and its allies had criticized the pipelines for increasing European reliance on Russian gas. The Ukrainian government has denied involvement in the sabotage plot.