Ukrainian Man Arrested in Croatia Over Nord Stream Pipeline Blasts

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:24:40 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A Ukrainian former diver has been detained in Croatia for allegedly planting explosives on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022, raising tensions between Kyiv and Berlin.

Ukrainian diver Volodymyr Zhuravlyov was arrested in Croatia on suspicion of taking part in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas lines that run beneath the Baltic Sea. German prosecutors claim he helped dive into the pipelines and plant charges that caused three of the four lines to explode. This arrest follows earlier releases of the same suspect in Poland and recent capture of another Ukrainian, former officer Serhiy Kuznetsov, in Italy. The trial underscores growing friction between Ukraine and Germany over accusations that Ukrainian operatives were behind the blast, a move that critics say threatens energy security and international relations.

Ukrainian diver arrested in Croatia over Nord Stream blasts

A former Ukrainian scuba diver was detained in Croatia on suspicion of being part of the 2022 sabotage that blew up three of the four Nord Stream gas pipelines beneath the Baltic Sea.

Water scene over a gas leak — Photo: German Defense Agency – gas leak bubbles from the water surface.

The suspect, identified in German court documents as Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, had previously been held in Poland in 2025, where a judge refused to extradite him and released him on the basis that the act could have been justified by Ukraine’s war against Russia. That release sparked surprise in the courtroom, with the man leaving smiling.

German prosecutors now say Zhuravlyov was one of the team members who “participated in the necessary dives” for the explosion. They are seeking his extradition from Croatia, where he is currently in custody.

The other known suspect, former Ukrainian officer Serhiy Kuznetsov, was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and extradited to Germany. He denies any role, but German authorities allege he led a crew that used a yacht rented in Rostock to plant charges near Denmark’s island of Bornholm.

The Nord Stream attacks have damaged a longstanding energy link that carries Russian gas to Europe. While the first three lines burst in September 2022, the fourth line remained operational. The incidents have shifted blame from Moscow to Kyiv, deepening the diplomatic rift between Ukraine and Germany.

Poland, which has long opposed the pipeline for fear of increased Russian influence and loss of transit fees, has joined Ukraine and the U.S. in criticizing the project. The court battles now leave the fate of the suspects, and the wider political fallout, uncertain.