A Second Suspect Has Been Caught in the Nord Stream Pipeline Bombing Mystery
Croatian police have arrested a Ukrainian man in the city of Pula on suspicion of helping bomb the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022. German prosecutors confirmed the arrest on August 19, 2026. The suspect is identified in court papers only as "Vladimir Z." because German law protects the full names of people who have not yet been convicted. He is believed to be Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, a trained diver who was arrested in Poland in 2025 over the same attack but was later let go. BBC Reuters
German prosecutors say this is the second person arrested in the Nord Stream investigation. They want Croatia to hand him over, a process called extradition, where one country transfers a suspect to another country to face trial. After that, he would go before a judge to face charges of causing explosions and sabotage. Reuters AP
The first suspect, a former Ukrainian military officer named Serhiy Kuznetsov, was arrested in Italy in August 2025. He was later sent to Germany and appeared in a Hamburg court in June 2026. An Italian appeals court had confirmed his arrest, saying he was connected to coordinating the pipeline attacks. Kuznetsov has denied any responsibility for the explosions. Reuters BBC
Prosecutors say Kuznetsov led a team that rented a yacht in the German city of Rostock and used it to plant explosives on the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. In July 2026, Germany's top prosecutor formally charged a Ukrainian citizen over the blasts. The charges include attacking civilian objects, disrupting public services, and helping carry out sabotage. Prosecutors say the suspect was acting on behalf of Ukrainian government bodies. Reuters Reuters
Zhuravlyov's arrest in Croatia comes after Poland refused to hand him over to Germany. A Polish judge ruled that if Ukraine was behind the pipeline attack, it could be considered a justified action, because Ukraine was at war with Russia. Think of it like a lawyer arguing that damaging an enemy's energy supply during wartime is self-defense rather than a crime. After that ruling, Zhuravlyov was set free. The arrest in Croatia now gives Germany a second chance to get him into court. BBC
The Nord Stream pipelines were attacked on September 26, 2022, when three of the four underwater lines were blown up in the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream 1 was up and running at the time, carrying Russian natural gas to Germany beneath the sea. Nord Stream 2, built alongside it, was finished but had not started operating yet. BBC
The Ukrainian government has repeatedly denied having anything to do with the explosions. Kyiv has stuck to this position throughout the entire investigation, even as German prosecutors have filed charges based on the claim that the attack was carried out for Ukrainian government bodies. BBC
The broader context here is about how different European countries view this act differently. The Polish court's refusal to hand Zhuravlyov over was based on the idea that Ukraine attacking Russian energy pipelines during an active war could be defended as an act of resistance. Germany sees it differently: for German prosecutors, bombing the pipelines is a crime, no matter who did it or whether they were at war. Now Croatia's courts have to decide the same question Poland already answered. If Croatia agrees to send Zhuravlyov to Germany, he could face trial there alongside Kuznetsov. If Croatia follows Poland's reasoning, he could walk free again.
There is also the investigative picture to keep an eye on. Germany now has two named suspects, both Ukrainian citizens, and a detailed story about how the attack was carried out: a rented yacht, trained divers, and explosives placed on underwater pipes. The fact that prosecutors charged the first suspect with acting on behalf of Ukrainian state entities means they believe this was a government-directed operation, not a freelance mission by a few individuals. Ukraine's firm denials create a direct clash with what German prosecutors are arguing. A German trial court will eventually have to look at the evidence and decide who is right.
