A man from Ukraine 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, according to Germany’s federal prosecutor. The individual, identified as Vladimir Z., was taken into custody in Pula, Croatia, by local law enforcement executing a European warrant.
Prosecutors stated that Vladimir Z., who is a certified scuba diver, was part of a group that planted explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022. He is under strong suspicion of participating in causing explosions, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of buildings and structures.
The arrest of Vladimir Z. was welcomed by the German government, with the Justice Ministry spokesperson Nicholas Limmer expressing satisfaction that progress was being made in the investigation to clarify the pipeline bombings.
Earlier last month, German federal prosecutors filed charges against another Ukrainian ex-army officer, Serhii K., in connection with the same explosions. Serhii K., who was detained in Italy in August 2025 and extradited to Germany in November, is facing charges related to causing an explosion, damaging property, disrupting public services, and being an accomplice to war crimes by targeting civilian objects.
German authorities allege that Serhii K. and accomplices departed from the port of Rostock using a yacht rented from a German company.
In a previous incident, Poland blocked the extradition of a man with the same name and initials. It was confirmed by a spokesperson that the person in question was the same individual identified by Polish authorities as Volodymyr Zhuravlov.
Poland’s opposition to the Nord Stream pipelines, considering them a Russian attempt to exert influence across Europe using energy resources, has been longstanding. The extradition of Volodymyr Zhuravlov was challenged in Poland, and his sudden departure from the country despite an active arrest warrant remains unclear.
The underwater explosions on September 26, 2022, caused significant damage to the pipelines designed to transport Russian natural gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea. This incident heightened tensions amid the conflict in Ukraine, prompting European nations to reduce their reliance on Russian energy sources following Russia’s invasion.
Russia has accused the U.S. of orchestrating the explosions, an allegation denied by Washington. The U.S. and its allies had criticized the Nord Stream pipelines, warning of increased European dependence on Russian gas. The Ukrainian government has also refuted any involvement in the sabotage plot.
