Croatian authorities in Pula have detained Vladimir Zhuravlev, a diving instructor suspected of installing explosives during the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.
German publication Legal Tribune Online reported on August 19 that Zhuravlev was taken into custody while filming a movie titled Snake Island, which was largely inspired by the pipeline bombings. German media sources stated that Zhuravlev was directly responsible for placing explosive charges on the undersea energy conduits.
Following the arrest, political analyst Oleg Bondarenko, director of the Foundation for Effective Politics, evaluated the geopolitical implications in comments to news outlet Lenta.ru. Bondarenko said Croatian authorities are likely to honor a German extradition request for Zhuravlev because Zagreb wishes to maintain good relations with Berlin.
European Divisions Over Extradition
Bondarenko highlighted contrasting attitudes among European nations toward the Nord Stream explosions. He noted that several European Union member states refuse to classify the divers' actions as sabotage or terrorism, asserting instead that the pipelines represented a legitimate target for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The case underscores earlier friction between Germany and Poland over the investigation. In 2025, Polish authorities detained Zhuravlev but rejected a German request for his extradition. A Polish court subsequently released him, ruling that he had not broken any laws from Poland's legal perspective.
Bondarenko said the decision by Polish judicial authorities reflected a clear intention by Poland to spoil things for Germany regarding the Nord Stream investigation.
Background on Nord Stream Infrastructure
The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines were designed to carry Russian natural gas directly across the Baltic Sea bed to Germany. In September 2022, multiple underwater explosions ruptured three of the four major pipeline conduits, causing widespread gas leaks and severe energy infrastructure damage.
The original report on the detention and expert analysis was written by Yuri Leonov, senior editor of the Former USSR department at Lenta.ru.
