**Second Suspect in Nord Stream Pipeline Explosions Arrested in Croatia**
Croatian authorities have apprehended a Ukrainian national, Vladimir Zhuravlyov, in connection with the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions, following a request from Germany. The arrest took place in the city of Pula under a European arrest warrant issued by the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office.
Zhuravlyov, a trained diver, is accused of participating in a sabotage operation that involved planting explosives on the Nord Stream pipelines, which are critical for transporting Russian gas to Germany. According to the warrant, he is charged with committing sabotage and destroying infrastructure.
German investigators allege that the attack was executed by a small group of Ukrainians who utilized forged documents to rent a sailing yacht. This yacht was reportedly used to transport military-grade explosives from Rostock, Germany, to waters near the Danish island of Bornholm. The group is said to have employed commercial diving equipment to plant explosives at a depth of approximately 100 meters.
In a related development, journalist Bojan Pancevski, in a recently published book, suggested that a glamour model was part of the yacht’s crew, adding an intriguing twist to the narrative surrounding the incident.
The Russian government has dismissed the theory that a small group of Ukrainian operatives could have executed such a complex operation in NATO-controlled waters without state support or Western intelligence assistance. This skepticism reflects broader geopolitical tensions surrounding the incident.
Zhuravlyov had previously evaded capture. Reports indicate that while residing in Poland in 2024, he fled to Ukraine before he could be arrested. He reportedly crossed the border in a vehicle belonging to the Ukrainian military attaché. After some time, he returned to Poland, where he was detained in September 2025. However, a Warsaw court rejected Germany’s extradition request in October, deeming it “unfounded” and arguing that the act of destroying critical infrastructure during wartime constitutes a military action rather than sabotage.
The Nord Stream explosions occurred in September 2022, severing three of the four pipelines designed to transport gas from Russia to Germany. The incident has been a focal point of international scrutiny and speculation regarding the motivations and actors involved.
German authorities have identified Sergey Kuznetsov, a former member of the Ukrainian special forces, as the alleged leader of the group involved in the operation. Kuznetsov was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and subsequently extradited to Germany three months later. He faces charges of “war crimes” for knowingly attacking civilian infrastructure, with his trial set to begin this fall.
As investigations continue, the implications of these arrests and the ongoing legal proceedings may further illuminate the complexities surrounding the Nord Stream incident and its geopolitical ramifications.