Second Nord Stream Suspect Arrested in Croatia

German federal prosecutors announced on Wednesday that a second Ukrainian suspect has been arrested in Croatia for his alleged role in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, marking a significant development in the complex international investigation. The suspect, identified only as Vladimir Z. in line with German privacy laws, was detained by Croatian police in the coastal city of Pula on August 19, 2026, acting on a European arrest warrant.

Prosecutors described Vladimir Z. as a trained scuba diver who was part of a group that planted explosives on the undersea pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm. He is accused of jointly causing the explosions, anticonstitutional sabotage, and the destruction of buildings and structures. He is scheduled to be extradited to Germany and brought before an investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice. The arrest represents the second major detention in the case, following the charging in July of a former Ukrainian army officer, Serhii K., who prosecutors allege led the operation.

The sabotage occurred on September 26, 2022, rupturing the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which was Russia’s main gas supply route to Germany, and...