Key Suspect in Nord Stream Pipeline Blasts Faces Extradition from Croatia
A Croatian court has agreed to send a Ukrainian man to Germany. He is wanted for his role in the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions. These undersea blasts damaged the pipelines. The man was arrested in Pula, a town in northern Croatia, in August. He was held based on an arrest warrant from Europe.
His lawyer, Ljubo Pavasovic Viskovic, confirmed the court’s decision on September 18. However, Mr. Viskovic said this decision is not yet final. He plans to appeal it. This means it is still unclear when or if the man will be sent to Germany.
German prosecutors named the man as Vladimir Z. They believe he is a skilled scuba diver. He was part of a team that is said to have placed explosives. These explosives were on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. The pipelines are located in the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm.
The explosions happened on September 26, 2022. They damaged the pipelines. These pipelines were built to carry natural gas from Russia to Germany.
In July, German prosecutors accused a former Ukrainian army officer of being involved in the explosions. Prosecutors also say Vladimir Z worked closely with another Ukrainian, Serhii K. Serhii K was arrested in August 2025 during a police search of his home in an Italian village. He was later sent to Germany last November.
Serhii K’s trial is set to begin on October 14. It will take place at the Hamburg Higher Regional Court. The trial might continue until February 2027.
The Nord Stream attacks happened months after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Three of the four pipelines were destroyed. These pipelines were an important energy link. At that time, European countries were trying to slowly stop using Russian energy.
German investigators believe a Ukrainian state agency ordered the attack. The goal was to stop Russia from getting money to pay for its invasion of Ukraine. This case causes political problems for both Germany and Ukraine. Germany has been a strong supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
When asked about the case, German government officials said that the courts make their own decisions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that his government knew nothing about any plan to blow up the pipelines.
