A Ukrainian man suspected of assisting in the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines has been arrested in Croatia while working as an adviser on a Hollywood film starring Sean Penn. Volodymyr Zhuravlyov was detained by police in Pula under a European arrest warrant issued by German authorities seeking his extradition.
Arrest on the Snake Island set
Zhuravlyov, a trained diver, was picked up while serving as an adviser on the set of Snake Island, an upcoming film about the attack directed by Doug Liman, known for The Bourne Identity, and starring Penn alongside Adrien Brody. The arrest took place on Wednesday, according to reports.
German prosecutors have accused Zhuravlyov of helping to plant the explosives that damaged three of the four pipelines carrying gas from Russia to Europe in 2022. He is "strongly suspected of jointly causing explosions, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of structures," according to officials.
Previous detention and legal wrangling
The suspect had previously been detained in Poland over his alleged role in the sabotage. However, Polish authorities refused to extradite him, ruling that any Ukrainian strike against Russian infrastructure constituted a legitimate act of war rather than a criminal offence.
Investigators in Berlin believe the attack was ordered by a Ukrainian state agency to deprive Moscow of vital energy revenues following its 2022 invasion. Zhuravlyov allegedly operated alongside Sergiy Kuznetsov, another Ukrainian suspect arrested in Italy last year and subsequently handed over to Germany.
Diplomatic fallout and denial
The probe leaves Berlin in a difficult diplomatic position, as Germany remains one of Kyiv's primary financial and military backers in the war against Russia. German government officials have declined to comment directly on the geopolitical fallout, insisting the country's judiciary operates independently.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently denied any state involvement, maintaining his government had no prior knowledge of the plot. No group has ever formally claimed responsibility for the deep-sea explosions, which triggered a major European energy crisis and a significant escalation of the regional conflict. Zhuravlyov now faces extradition to Germany to stand trial.
