Authorities in Pula, Croatia, arrested Volodymyr Zhuravlev on a European arrest warrant issued by Germany in connection with the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions. German prosecutors allege Zhuravlev was part of a Ukrainian diving team that planted explosives on the undersea energy links between Russia and Germany.
The arrest occurred while Zhuravlev was reportedly serving as a consultant on the filming of "Snake Island," a political thriller directed by Doug Liman. The film, which features actors Adrien Brody and Sean Penn, dramatizes the events surrounding the pipeline sabotage. Zhuravlev has denied any involvement in the plot, and the Ukrainian government has stated it was not involved in the incident.
This is the second time Zhuravlev has been detained regarding the Nord Stream case. In September 2025, he was held in Poland, but a Warsaw regional court refused extradition to Germany, citing lack of jurisdiction and characterizing the pipeline destruction as a potential act of war rather than a crime. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk supported this stance, stating that those who built the pipelines should be ashamed, not those who disabled them.
The scale of the investigation involves multiple suspects and international jurisdictions. In addition to Zhuravlev, German prosecutors charged Serhii K., a former Ukrainian army officer, who was detained in Italy in August 2025 and extradited to Germany in November. The legal precedent set by Poland’s refusal to extradite Zhuravlev in 2025 suggests a deep disagreement among EU members regarding whether the sabotage constitutes a criminal act or a legitimate military target. This creates a complex legal environment for Ukrainian nationals traveling within the EU who may be subject to competing interpretations of international law.
A person following this case would notice that the resolution of these charges will likely influence future EU energy policy and defense cooperation. If Zhuravlev is successfully extradited from Croatia to Germany, it would mark a shift in how different member states handle warrants related to the Nord Stream incident. For now, Zhuravlev remains in Croatian custody while Germany seeks his extradition. The production of the film "Snake Island" continues, though the production team has not commented on the arrest of their consultant. Further court dates in Croatia to determine the validity of the German warrant have not yet been reported.