Croatia detains Ukrainian suspect in Nord Stream blast case

A Ukrainian man suspected of involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline blasts has been placed in pre-trial detention in Croatia pending a decision on his extradition to Germany, court officials said.

The suspect, identified by German prosecutors as Vladimir Z., was arrested early Wednesday at a hotel in the coastal city of Pula on a European arrest warrant. Prosecutors described him as a trained scuba diver and said he was part of a group linked to the blasts.

The explosions damaged Nord Stream 1, a major route for Russian gas exports to Europe, and Nord Stream 2, which had not entered service. Russia and Western countries have described the incident as sabotage.

Another suspect, former Ukrainian army officer Serhii K., was charged in July with orchestrating the blasts on behalf of Ukrainian state entities. He denies involvement.

German authorities said the case falls under German jurisdiction because the pipelines end in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and their damage affected Germany’s energy security. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said officials were working with Croatia to facilitate the extradition.