Ukrainian Suspect in Nord Stream Pipeline Bombing Arrested in Croatia

A Ukrainian man identified as Volodymyr Zhuravlev was arrested in the Croatian city of Pula on Wednesday on suspicion of involvement in the 2022 bombing of the Nord Stream pipelines. German federal prosecutors issued a European arrest warrant for Zhuravlev, describing him as a professional scuba diver who was part of a six person group that planted explosives near the Danish island of Bornholm. This group allegedly included members of a special military unit and was led by another Ukrainian, Serhii K, who was previously extradited to Germany from Italy. The explosions severely damaged Nord Stream 1 and prevented Nord Stream 2 from ever becoming operational.

In a notable coincidence, Zhuravlev was detained while in Croatia for the production of a Hollywood film titled Snake Island. Directed by Doug Liman and starring Sean Penn and Adrien Brody, the movie dramatizes the Nord Stream explosions and features a team of Ukrainian divers. While one source reports it is unclear how Zhuravlev was involved in the film, another reports that German media identified him as a consultant on the project.

This is the second time Zhuravlev has been detained in connection with the case. He was previously arrested in Poland in 2025, but a Polish court rejected the German extradition request. That court argued that Germany lacked jurisdiction because the explosions occurred in international waters and suggested the act could be viewed as a justified action during a defensive war. Zhuravlev's lawyer, Tymoteusz Paprocki, stated that the current proceedings in Croatia will serve as a test for the consistency of European law.

The Ukrainian government and the suspects have denied any involvement in the sabotage. While Germany holds Ukraine responsible for the attack, the specific individuals who ordered the operation remain unidentified. The event is viewed through different lenses by regional governments. Poland has historically opposed the pipelines as tools of Russian geopolitical pressure, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk stating that the problem was that the pipelines were built rather than that they were destroyed.