Ukrainian diver suspected of blowing up Nord Stream detained in Croatia. Poland previously refused to extradite him
Almost four years after the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions in the Baltic Sea, the German investigation into the case continues. Another Ukrainian citizen, suspected of involvement in the preparation and execution of the sabotage, has been detained in the Croatian city of Pula on a European arrest warrant, Euronews reports .
According to the Federal Prosecutor's Office of Germany, the person in question is Ukrainian Volodymyr Zhuravliov. The investigation believes that he was a professional diver and part of the group that prepared, and likely carried out, the explosions on the gas pipelines.
This is not the first attempt by German authorities to detain the suspect. In 2025, he was already arrested in Poland, but Polish authorities refused to extradite the man to Germany, after which he was released. Now, the Ukrainian has been detained again. After extradition to Germany, he is to appear before an investigating judge of the German Federal Court of Justice.
The Federal Prosecutor's Office accuses the man, among other things, of jointly carrying out an explosion using explosives, sabotage, and destruction of infrastructure facilities.
On September 26, 2022, several explosions occurred on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. The pipes suffered severe damage, and gas began to leak massively into the sea. Large gas patches formed on the water's surface.
Initially, investigations were conducted by Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. Sweden and Denmark later ceased their own investigations, while German investigators continued their work.
According to the German investigation, a group of people with deep-sea diving skills could have been involved in preparing the sabotage. The explosive devices are believed to have been installed directly on the pipelines. The investigation considers a sailing yacht as one of the possible elements of the operation.
In recent years, German investigators have increasingly focused on Ukrainian citizens. Previously, another Ukrainian, Serhiy Kuznetsov, was detained and transferred to Germany. In June 2026, the Federal Prosecutor's Office brought charges against him, including involvement in an attack on civilian objects, organizing an explosion, destroying structures, and interfering with the operation of public infrastructure facilities.
The destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines had not only economic but also significant geopolitical consequences, as the gas pipelines were one of the main symbols of energy cooperation between Russia and Germany.
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Парніковы эфект кажаце, змены клімату, узровень СО2?