Kathmandu— Croatian police have apprehended a Ukrainian man suspected by German authorities of participating in the operation behind the 2022 explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Vladimir Zhuravlyov, a trained diver, was arrested in Pula following a European arrest warrant issued by Germany, where he is accused of planting explosives as part of a group to commit sabotage and destroy critical infrastructure. The arrest follows that of Sergey Kuznetsov, identified as the alleged team leader, who was arrested in Italy last year and extradited to Germany. Investigators believe a small group used a yacht to transport military-grade explosives before planting them at depths of around 100 meters near Bornholm.

Details Of The Alleged Sabotage

German investigators allege that the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines was carried out by a small group of Ukrainians who chartered a sailing yacht using forged documents. They transported military-grade explosives from Rostock, Germany, to waters near the Danish island of Bornholm. The group allegedly utilized commercial diving equipment to plant explosive charges on the pipelines at a depth of approximately 100 meters. A recently published book by Wall Street Journal journalist Bojan Pancevski claims that a glamour model was also among the yacht’s crew.

Previous Attempts To Apprehend Zhuravlyov

Zhuravlyov had previously evaded arrest, fleeing Poland for Ukraine in 2024 while authorities attempted to apprehend him. Reports indicate he crossed the border in a vehicle belonging to the Ukrainian military attaché. He later reappeared in Poland and was briefly detained in September 2025, but a Warsaw court rejected Germany’s extradition request, arguing that the destruction of critical infrastructure during wartime constituted a military action rather than sabotage.

Russian Response And Ongoing Investigation

Moscow has dismissed the theory that Ukrainian “frogmen” were responsible for the explosions, suggesting such a complex operation in NATO-controlled waters could not have been carried out by a small group without state assistance or involvement from Western intelligence agencies. German prosecutors have charged Sergey Kuznetsov with “war crimes” for knowingly attacking civilian infrastructure, and his trial is scheduled to begin this fall. Zhuravlyov is expected to be extradited to Germany to face similar charges.

Authorities anticipate that Vladimir Zhuravlyov will be extradited from Croatia to Germany to stand trial alongside Sergey Kuznetsov in connection with the Nord Stream pipeline explosions.

(With inputs from RT)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.