Ukrainian suspect in Nord Stream sabotage requests asylum in Croatia
on Google
A Ukrainian suspect in Germany's investigation into the sabotage of Nord Stream gas pipelines requested political asylum in Croatia, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported on Sept. 29, citing the suspect's attorney.
Croatian authorities on Aug. 19 detained scuba diver Volodymyr Zhuravliov under a European arrest warrant issued by Germany in connection with the September 2022 explosions that damaged the pipelines built to funnel Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea.
German authorities accuse him of helping to place explosives on the pipelines as part of a covert operation conducted from a rented sailing yacht that departed from the port of Rostock.
Zhuravliov's attorney, Mykola Katerynchuk, justified the asylum request on the grounds that he "would not receive a fair trial in Germany."
A Croatian court authorized Zhuravliov's extradition to Germany on Sept. 18, and the attorney clarified that the asylum request does not automatically halt the extradition process.
Zhuravliov was first detained in Poland in September 2025, but a Polish court refused to extradite him to Germany and instead released him a month later.
The Polish court argued that the Nord Stream sabotage could be considered a justifiable act in the context of Ukraine's defense against Russia.
German investigators previously linked the sabotage to a pro-Ukraine group, allegedly led by another Ukrainian national, Serhii Kuznetsov, who is already in German custody after being detained in Italy in August 2025.
Kyiv has denied any involvement in the explosions.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which never became operational, had long been a flashpoint in European energy politics. Even before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, critics said it deepened Germany's dependence on Russian gas and undermined European energy security.
