A man from Ukraine was apprehended in Croatia on Wednesday in connection with the underwater explosions 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 arrested in Pula, Croatia, by local authorities executing a European warrant. Prosecutors disclosed that Vladimir Z., a qualified scuba diver, was among a group of individuals who planted explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022. He is suspected of being involved in the coordinated explosions, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of buildings and structures.
The arrest of Vladimir Z. was praised 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 recently pressed charges against another suspect, a former Ukrainian army officer named Serhii K., linked to the same explosions. Serhii K. was detained in Italy in August 2025 and extradited to Germany in November on charges including causing an explosion, property damage, disruption of public service, and complicity in war crimes by targeting civilian objects. Authorities in Germany alleged that Serhii K. and his accomplices departed from Rostock port using a yacht rented from a German company.
It is reported that Poland previously hindered the extradition of an individual with a similar name. The spokesperson confirmed that the individual identified by Polish authorities as Volodymyr Zhuravlov is indeed the same person. Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk had opposed the extradition, citing Poland’s interests. Notably, Volodymyr Zhuravlov’s lawyer mentioned that his client’s detention in Croatia surprised both him and his wife.
The explosions that occurred on September 26, 2022, damaged the Nord Stream pipelines designed to transport Russian natural gas to Germany through the Baltic Sea. These incidents exacerbated tensions amidst the conflict in Ukraine as European nations sought to reduce their reliance on Russian energy sources post the Kremlin’s invasion. The explosions affected the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, previously Russia’s primary gas supply route to Germany until supplies were halted in August 2022. Additionally, Nord Stream 2 sustained damage and was never operational due to Germany suspending its certification process shortly before the Russian invasion.
Russia has accused the United States 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. The Ukrainian government has also refuted any involvement in the sabotage plot.