Ukrainian diver arrested in Croatia over Nord Stream pipeline sabotage

Croatian authorities have arrested a Ukrainian national in Pula on suspicion of involvement in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The man, identified as Volodymyr Zhuravlov, a trained diver, was detained based on a European arrest warrant issued by Germany.

German federal prosecutors believe Zhuravlov bears significant responsibility for the explosions that damaged three of the four pipelines. These pipelines were a crucial energy link between Russia and Germany. Investigators suggest the operation was linked to Ukrainian entities aiming to disrupt Russia's energy revenues, which fund its war in Ukraine.

Zhuravlov is alleged to have worked closely with another Ukrainian citizen, Serhiy Kuznyetsov, who was arrested in Italy last year and extradited to Germany. Both are believed to be part of a group that used a chartered yacht near the Danish island of Bornholm to deploy divers and explosives for the sabotage mission.

This is not Zhuravlov's first encounter with authorities regarding the incident. He was previously arrested in Poland on similar charges. However, Polish authorities refused his extradition to Germany, classifying the potential Ukrainian actions against Russian energy infrastructure as acts of war rather than ordinary criminal offenses. The case remains politically sensitive for both Germany and Ukraine, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denying any government knowledge of such plans.

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Poljske oblasti so njegovo izročitev Nemčiji zavrnile in ga izpustile.