Overview
- Croatian police detained a Ukrainian man identified by German prosecutors as Volodymyr Z. in Pula and a court on Thursday remanded him in custody to secure his extradition to Germany.
- German authorities allege the suspect was a trained scuba diver who took part in dives that planted explosives on Nord Stream 1 and 2 in September 2022 and have opened a separate criminal case charging others in July.
- Poland previously refused to extradite a man with the same name in 2025, ruling the destruction could be viewed as wartime conduct, and that decision is likely to shape legal arguments in Croatia and at appeal.
- Media reports say the arrested diver was working as a consultant on a film about the attacks when picked up in Croatia, a detail that is attracting public attention but is not central to prosecutors’ allegations.
- The explosions damaged three pipeline strings and Germany says it has jurisdiction because the pipelines end on German territory; proving who ordered the operation is central to both the criminal case and wider diplomatic disputes.