The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office said Vladimir Z., a trained scuba diver, was arrested in Pula, Croatia, by local police forces, as Prosecutors are pursuing his extradition from Croatia, according to dw.com.

Timeline of arrests and charges

Vladimir Z. had previously been detained in Poland in September 2025, but was released after an extradition request from Germany was denied; Another Ukrainian national, Serhii K., was arrested in Italy last year. Both are being investigated in connection with the September 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions.

The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines were constructed to transport Russian natural gas to Germany and other European countries; Nord Stream 2 had not yet begun service when both pipelines were damaged by explosions in September 2022, rendering them inoperable. The blasts occurred just months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Alleged motives and international reactions

Germany has stated it believes the explosions were acts of sabotage ordered by unspecified Ukrainian state entities. Kyiv has denied any involvement. Prosecutors said the plot aimed to permanently disrupt gas deliveries and prevent Russia from using natural gas revenue to fund its military operations, according to La Nación.

Moscow had previously reduced or suspended gas deliveries through Nord Stream 1 following the invasion, citing Western sanctions and technical issues; European countries, in turn, accused Russia of weaponizing energy supplies. The damage to the Nord Stream pipelines further heightened tensions in the region, especially as European nations sought to reduce their reliance on Russian energy after the invasion.

Legal proceedings and international cooperation

Vladimir Z. is strongly suspected of jointly causing the explosions, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of buildings and structures, and Prosecutors said he would be brought before the investigating judge at Germany’s federal court of justice after being extradited from Croatia. According to n-tv.de, he is being investigated under a European Arrest Warrant and faces charges of jointly causing a chemical explosion, unconstitutional sabotage, and destruction of buildings.

Serhii K., the first suspect arrested in the case, was detained in August 2025 in an Italian village; he was extradited to Germany in November after being arrested without resistance. He faces charges of causing an explosion, damaging property, disrupting public service, and being an accomplice to war crimes by attacking civilian objects.

Both suspects allegedly used a yacht rented from a German company using forged IDs and intermediaries. The yacht set off from the German port of Rostock and was involved in the operation to plant explosives on the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm.