A Ukrainian individual was apprehended in Croatia on Wednesday in connection to the underwater blasts that caused harm to the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany in 2022, as confirmed by Germany’s federal prosecutor. The arrested person, identified as Vladimir Z., was taken into custody in Pula, Croatia, by local law enforcement executing a European warrant.
According to prosecutors, Vladimir Z., a proficient scuba diver, was part of a group that placed explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022. The suspect is strongly suspected of participating in causing explosions, engaging in anti-constitutional sabotage, and destroying buildings and structures.
Germany intends to seek the extradition of the suspect. Notably, Poland had previously blocked the extradition of a person with a similar name and initial last year.
The underwater explosions on September 26, 2022, resulted in damage to the pipelines designed to transport Russian natural gas to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. This incident further fueled tensions amid the Ukraine conflict, prompting European nations to reduce their reliance on Russian energy supplies in light of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion.
The explosions inflicted damage on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which had been Russia’s primary natural gas delivery route to Germany until Moscow halted supplies in August 2022. Additionally, Nord Stream 2 sustained damage and never became operational as Germany suspended its certification process shortly before Russia’s invasion.
In a separate development, German federal prosecutors recently brought charges against a former Ukrainian military officer, Serhii K., who was detained in Italy the year before. Serhii K. faces charges related to causing an explosion, property damage, disruption of public services, and complicity in war crimes by targeting civilian assets.
Authorities in Germany have alleged that Serhii K. and accomplices departed from the port of Rostock using a yacht rented from a German company.
Russia has accused the U.S. of orchestrating the explosions, an accusation that Washington has refuted. The Nord Stream pipelines had been under scrutiny by the U.S. and some allies for potentially deepening Europe’s reliance on Russian gas supplies. The Ukrainian government has denied any involvement in the incident.
