A Ukrainian individual was apprehended on Wednesday in Croatia in connection with underwater blasts that caused harm to the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany in 2022, as stated by Germany’s federal prosecutor. The arrested person, identified as Vladimir Z., was taken into custody in Pula, Croatia, by local law enforcement executing a European warrant.
According to prosecutors, Vladimir Z., a certified scuba diver, was part of a group that placed explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022. He is strongly suspected of involvement in orchestrating the explosions, engaging in anti-constitutional sabotage, and causing destruction to infrastructures.
The German government expressed satisfaction with the arrest, emphasizing the significance of clarifying the pipeline bombings. The justice ministry spokesperson, Nicholas Limmer, highlighted the progress made by the federal prosecutor’s office in the investigations.
In a separate development, last month, German federal prosecutors brought charges against a former Ukrainian army officer, Serhii K., in connection with the same blasts. Serhii K., who was detained in Italy in August 2025 and subsequently extradited to Germany in November, faces charges related to explosion incidents, property damage, disruption of public services, and complicity in war crimes by targeting civilian assets.
Authorities allege that Serhii K. and accomplices departed from the port of Rostock using a yacht rented from a German company. Germany is actively pursuing the extradition of the suspect, with Poland having previously blocked a similar request last year.
Polish authorities identified the suspect as Volodymyr Zhuravlov, the same individual involved in the current case. Poland’s opposition to the Nord Stream pipelines, perceived as a Russian strategy to wield energy dominance in Europe, was underscored during Zhuravlov’s extradition proceeding.
The explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines occurred on September 26, 2022, causing significant damage and exacerbating tensions amid Europe’s efforts to reduce reliance on Russian energy supplies following the Ukraine conflict. The U.S. has refuted accusations by Russia of orchestrating the blasts, with Ukraine also denying any involvement in the sabotage incident.