A second Ukrainian national suspected of involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline blasts has been arrested in the Croatian city of Pula and will be extradited to Germany, German prosecutors said on Wednesday. The man was identified as Vladimir Z.
German prosecutors allege that Vladimir Z is a trained scuba diver who belonged to a group led by Serhii K that planted explosives targeting the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. Croatian police made the arrest under a European arrest warrant.
What German prosecutors allege
The prosecutors say the alleged group targeted both pipeline branches. The explosions damaged Nord Stream 1, a major route for Russian gas exports to Europe, and Nord Stream 2, which had not entered service.
German prosecutors have said the alleged aim was to permanently stop gas deliveries through the pipelines and prevent Russia from using natural-gas revenue to finance its war effort. The allegations have not been established as a conviction.
The earlier arrest and court case
Serhii K, described as a former Ukrainian army officer, was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and transferred to Germany in November. Prosecutors charged him in July with allegedly orchestrating the blasts on behalf of Ukrainian state entities.
Serhii K has denied involvement in the explosions near the Danish island of Bornholm. Authorities in Kyiv have said they did not have enough information to respond in detail to the German allegations.
Why Germany is handling the case
German courts have treated the case as falling within German jurisdiction because the damaged pipelines end in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Prosecutors have also said the loss affected Germany’s energy security and internal safety.
The September 2022 explosions, which followed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine earlier that year, have been described as sabotage by Russia and Western countries. The German government welcomed the latest arrest, with Justice Ministry spokesman Nicholas Limmer saying progress in the investigation was important to clarifying the bombing.
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