Second Suspect Arrested in Croatia Over Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage

German federal prosecutors announced the arrest of a Ukrainian national in Pula, Croatia, on Wednesday. The suspect, identified as Vladimir Z., is accused of being part of a group that planted explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in September 2022. Prosecutors are seeking his extradition to Germany, where he faces charges including jointly causing explosions and anti-constitutional sabotage.

This arrest follows charges filed last month against another Ukrainian individual, identified as Serhii K., who was apprehended in Italy the previous year. Serhii K. is accused of complicity in war crimes by damaging civilian infrastructure. German authorities allege that Serhii K. and others involved set out from Rostock, Germany, using a hired yacht.

The Nord Stream pipelines, designed to transport Russian natural gas to Germany, sustained damage from undersea explosions on September 26, 2022. The incidents occurred near the Danish island of Bornholm. This sabotage added to existing tensions surrounding the war in Ukraine, as European nations sought to reduce their reliance on Russian energy supplies.

Nord Stream 1 was a primary conduit for Russian gas to Germany until supplies were halted in August 2022. Nord Stream 2, although completed, never became operational due to Germany suspending its certification process before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Both Russia and the Ukrainian government have denied involvement in the sabotage. Moscow has previously accused the United States of carrying out the explosions, a claim Washington has rejected. The pipelines themselves had been a point of contention, with the U.S. and its allies expressing concern over increased European dependency on Russian gas.