Ukrainian arrested in Croatia over Nord Stream pipeline explosions

Croatian authorities have arrested a Ukrainian national, identified as Volodymyr Z., on suspicion of involvement in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The arrest was made based on a European arrest warrant issued by German prosecutors, who have been investigating the incident since early 2024.

German investigators allege that Z. was part of a six-person team of trained divers, including members of a special military unit, who allegedly attached explosives to the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. These pipelines, designed to transport Russian gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea, were severely damaged by the explosions. Nord Stream 1, completed in 2012, ceased operations, while Nord Stream 2, finished in 2021, never became operational.

Intriguingly, the arrest took place on the set of a Hollywood film, "Snake Island," directed by Doug Liman. The drama film reportedly reenacts the Nord Stream explosions, featuring a team of Ukrainian divers planting explosives from a yacht. Filming commenced in Croatia in August, with scenes being shot in the coastal city of Pula, where Z. was apprehended. His specific involvement with the film production remains unclear.

This is not the first time Z. has been detained in connection with the case. He was previously arrested in Poland in the fall of 2025. However, a Polish court refused to extradite him to Germany, citing that the explosions occurred in international waters. He was subsequently released. The German investigation into the pipeline sabotage is politically sensitive due to European support for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia. Poland, historically opposed to the Nord Stream pipelines, views the sabotage as a legitimate act of war.