A Croatian court has ordered the continued detention of a Ukrainian national wanted by Germany in connection with the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines, pending extradition proceedings.

The suspect was arrested on Wednesday in the northern Croatian city of Pula under a European Arrest Warrant and appeared before prosecutors the following day. Prosecutors requested that he remain in custody until a decision is made on Germany's extradition request.

His lawyer, Matija Milos, said the defense would appeal the detention order. Croatian authorities have not indicated how long the extradition process is expected to take.

German prosecutors identify suspect

German prosecutors identified the suspect as Vladimir Z., describing him as a trained diver allegedly involved in a group accused of placing explosives near the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines.

According to German investigators, the group is suspected of carrying out the sabotage near the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea in September 2022.

Previously released in Poland

A spokesperson for the German prosecution service confirmed to the Associated Press that the man arrested in Croatia is the same individual who was detained in Poland last year before being released after a Polish court rejected Germany's extradition request.

Polish authorities previously identified the suspect as Volodymyr Zhuravlov.

Germany has also expanded its investigation in recent months. Last month, prosecutors filed charges against a former Ukrainian military officer, identified as Serhii K., who was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and extradited to Germany in November.

Investigation continues nearly four years after blasts

The explosions on Sept. 26, 2022, severely damaged the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which were built to transport Russian natural gas to Germany through the Baltic Sea.

At the time of the explosions, Nord Stream 1 had already stopped delivering gas after Russia suspended supplies in August 2022. Nord Stream 2 never entered commercial operation because Germany halted its certification shortly before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

German investigators allege that the suspects used a yacht departing from the German port of Rostock, rented through intermediaries using forged identity documents, to carry out the operation.

Immediately after the explosions, some Western officials suggested Russia could have been responsible. As the German investigation progressed, however, prosecutors increasingly focused on the possible involvement of Ukrainian nationals.

Russia has consistently blamed the United States for the sabotage, while Washington has denied the allegations.

The Nord Stream pipelines had long been criticized by the United States and several European allies, who argued they increased Europe's dependence on Russian natural gas.

The latest arrest in Croatia has once again brought the Nord Stream investigation into the international spotlight, while questions over who ultimately orchestrated the sabotage remain unresolved.(ILKHA)