A Ukrainian individual has been apprehended in Croatia in connection to the underwater explosions that caused damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany in 2022, as confirmed by Germany’s federal prosecutor. The man, identified as Vladimir Z., was taken into custody by local authorities in Pula, Croatia, based on a European arrest warrant.
The 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 pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022. He is suspected 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 resolving the pipeline bombings. The justice ministry’s spokesperson, Nicholas Limmer, commended the progress made by the federal prosecutor’s office in the investigation.
In a separate incident, German federal prosecutors recently pressed charges against a former Ukrainian army officer, Serhii K., linked to the same explosions. Serhii K. was apprehended in Italy in August 2025 and extradited to Germany in November, facing allegations including causing an explosion, property damage, disruption of public service, and complicity in war crimes related to attacking civilian targets.
Furthermore, it was revealed that Poland had previously blocked the extradition of a suspect with the same name and initial. The individual, identified by Polish authorities as Volodymyr Zhuravlov, is the same person involved in the recent arrest in Croatia. Poland’s opposition to the Nord Stream pipelines, considering them a strategic move by Russia to exploit energy resources for leverage in Europe, led to the refusal to extradite the suspect.
The underwater explosions on September 26, 2022, resulted in significant damage to the pipelines designed to transport Russian natural gas to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. These incidents exacerbated tensions amid the conflict in Ukraine, prompting European nations to reduce reliance on Russian energy supplies following the invasion by the Kremlin.
The ruptured Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which served as Russia’s primary gas conduit to Germany until supply disruptions in August 2022, and the impaired Nord Stream 2, which was halted by Germany before certification due to the invasion, underscored the geopolitical implications of the sabotage.
Accusations by Russia claiming U.S. involvement in the explosions have been denied by Washington, while the Ukrainian government has also refuted any involvement in the sabotage plot. The incidents involving the Nord Stream pipelines have drawn international attention and raised concerns about energy security in Europe.