German prosecutors announced the arrest of a second suspect, identified as Ukrainian national Vladimir Z., in Croatia in connection with the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions. He is accused of planting explosives alongside another Ukrainian national, Serhii K., who was previously charged.
The arrest of a second suspect deepens the ongoing investigation into the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, a critical piece of energy infrastructure, and highlights the international dimension of the probe.
German prosecutors announced on Wednesday the arrest of a second suspect in Croatia in connection with the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions. The Ukrainian national, identified only as Vladimir Z., was apprehended in the coastal city of Pula by local police acting on a European arrest warrant and will be extradited to Germany.
Prosecutors had previously brought charges in July against another Ukrainian, former army officer Serhii K., accusing him of involvement in the blasts on behalf of Ukrainian state entities. According to the prosecutors' statement, Vladimir Z., described as a trained scuba diver, was part of a group led by Serhii K. that planted explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm.
The September 2022 explosions, which occurred after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, have been described as sabotage by Russia and Western countries. The blasts damaged the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, a key conduit for Russian gas exports to Europe, and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which had not yet entered service. At the time of the alleged attack, Russia had halted gas deliveries via Nord Stream 1, citing Western sanctions and technical issues, while Europe accused Moscow of weaponizing energy supplies.