A Ukrainian national and trained scuba diver suspected of taking part in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines has been arrested in Croatia, German prosecutors have said.
The suspect, identified as Vladimir Z., was arrested in the coastal city of Pula by Croatian police acting on a European arrest warrant issued by German authorities.
German federal prosecutors allege that Vladimir Z. was part of a group that planted explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near Denmark’s Bornholm island in September 2022.
The Nord Stream pipelines were built to transport natural gas from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream 1 became operational in 2011, while Nord Stream 2 was completed but never entered commercial operation after Germany suspended its certification in 2022.
The pipelines were damaged by a series of explosions on September 26, 2022, causing major gas leaks into the Baltic Sea. Investigators have treated the incident as deliberate sabotage.
Vladimir Z. is suspected of jointly causing explosions and damaging infrastructure, according to German prosecutors.
The arrest follows charges filed last month against another Ukrainian national, identified as Serhii K., a former Ukrainian army officer accused of involvement in the pipeline blasts.
German prosecutors allege that Serhii K. led the group involved in the operation and that Vladimir Z. was one of the trained divers who participated in placing explosives on the pipelines.
The explosions severely damaged several sections of Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, effectively rendering the pipelines inoperable.
Responsibility for the blasts has remained disputed, although German authorities have focused their investigation on a group of Ukrainian nationals whom they allege coordinated and carried out the operation. Ukraine has denied involvement in the destruction of the pipelines.
German authorities are expected to seek Vladimir Z.’s extradition from Croatia. If transferred to Germany, he is expected to appear before an investigating judge at Germany’s Federal Court of Justice.
The arrest marks the second major detention linked to Germany’s investigation into the Nord Stream explosions after authorities charged Serhii K. in July.
(The Whistler)