A Ukrainian man, identified as Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, has been arrested in Croatia by German authorities who suspect him of participating in the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022. According to prosecutors, Zhuravlyov was one of the scuba divers who planted explosives on the pipelines. This is the second arrest made over the plot, with a former Ukrainian military officer, Serhiy Kuznetsov, already being held in Germany and awaiting trial. The destruction of the pipelines has strained relations between Kyiv and Berlin, one of Ukraine's key European backers.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-20,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
A second suspect, Vladimir Z. (also identified as Volodymyr Zhuravlyov), has been arrested in Croatia on suspicion of taking part in the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany. The arrest was made by local police forces who acted on a European arrest warrant issued by German prosecutors. Vladimir Z. is alleged to have worked with Serhii K., a former Ukrainian army officer, to plant explosives on the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Nord Stream blasts damaged the pipelines and strained relations between Kyiv and Berlin, one of Ukraine's key European backers. Prosecutors had previously charged Serhii K. with involvement in the blasts, accusing him of acting on behalf of Ukrainian state entities. Vladimir Z. is set to be extradited to Germany where he will face trial.
Written for “Nord Stream Pipeline Bombings” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but none of the 2 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
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Leaning score withheld for article 1644: no verified evidence · logged 2026-08-31
- Published
A Ukrainian man has been arrested in Croatia on suspicion of taking part in the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany.
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man → publish → Russia
The suspect is alleged by German authorities to have been one of the scuba divers who planted explosives on the pipelines in September 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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who → allege → Ukraine
He is the second man to be arrested over the plot, which has strained relations between Kyiv and Berlin - one of the key European backers for Ukraine's war effort.
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which → arrest → effort
"The suspect participated in the necessary dives" for the sabotage, German prosecutors alleged, adding they were pursuing the suspect's extradition from Croatia.
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they → participate → Croatia
Prosecutors identified the man only as trained scuba diver Vladimir Z, however he is understood to be Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, who was arrested in Poland in 2025 over the undersea plot.
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who → identify → plot
In that case, a Polish judge refused a German extradition request, arguing that if Ukraine was responsible for the attack, then it was a "just" act.
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it → refuse → attack
Zhuravlyov was then released, prompting a ripple of surprise from the crowd in court and a smile from the man in the dock.
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Zhuravlyov → release → dock
He was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and later extradited to Germany where he is set to face trial.
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he → arrest → trial
He has denied responsibility for the explosions and appeared before a court in Hamburg in June.
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He → deny → June
Prosecutors allege Kuznetsov led a team that used a yacht rented at Rostock in Germany to plant explosives on the pipelines close to the Danish Baltic Sea island of Bornholm.
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that → allege → Bornholm
In a letter sent to the United Nations Security Council following the explosions, and reported by Reuters at the time, German investigators said "traces of subsea explosives were found in the samples taken from the boat".
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traces → send → boat
Although the Nord Stream 1 pipeline was in operation at the time, Nord Stream 2 had yet to go into service.
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Stream → have → service
After Zhuravlyov's planned extradition from Croatia, officials said he will be brought before an investigating judge to face charges of causing explosions and sabotage.
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he → plan → explosions
Blame for the blasts, which crippled a long-controversial energy supply line from Russia to Germany, initially focused on Moscow until signs of Ukrainian involvement began to emerge.
Officials in Kyiv have repeatedly denied any role.
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Officials → cripple → role
German courts have treated the destruction of Nord Stream 1 as falling within their jurisdiction because the pipelines end at Lubmin in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
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pipelines → treat → Vorpommern
Prosecutors have also alleged the pipelines' destruction affected the country's energy security and internal safety.
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destruction → allege → security
Germany played a key role in the Nord Stream project, including providing technical expertise and political support ahead of its launch - which was attended by then Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2011.
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which → play → 2011
Poland was always been a vocal critic of the pipeline project with Russia, arguing it made Berlin too dependent on Moscow.
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Berlin → argue → Moscow
The route also deprived Poland of transit fees for the gas.
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route → deprive → gas
