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Croatia Detains Suspect
Croatian authorities detained Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Zh. in Pula on August 19 under a European arrest warrant issued by Germany, and an investigating judge at the County Court in Pula remanded him in custody to ensure his extradition to Germany.
“has been remanded in custody by an investigating judge at the County Court in Pula”
Ukrinform said the County State Attorney’s Office requested the remand, and the Ukrainian’s lawyer Matija Miloš told the publication, "My client has been remanded in custody at the request of the state prosecutor to ensure his surrender under a European arrest warrant issued by Germany."
The Independent reported that Volodymyr Zhuravlev was arrested in Pula while reportedly acting as a consultant on a Hollywood film dramatising the 2022 Nord Stream explosions.
German prosecutors accuse Zhuravlev of being part of a team of Ukrainian divers that allegedly planted explosives on the Baltic Sea energy link between Russia and Germany, destroying three of the four pipelines in 2022.
The Independent added that Zhuravlev denied any involvement, while the Ukrainian government said it had nothing to do with the sabotage and wanted to establish the "true circumstances" of the incident.
Hollywood Set Connection
German media reported that Zhuravlev was arrested while working as a consultant on the set of Snake Island, a movie being filmed in Croatia and directed by Doug Liman.
The Guardian described how locals in Zagreb saw a film crew and extras sporting Ukrainian military uniforms outside the Esplanade hotel, and it said Zhuravlev was detained in Pula in a “meta-twist” tied to the film.
In the Independent’s account, the film is a fictional political thriller starring Oscar-winning Adrien Brody and Sean Penn, and it said neither Brody, Penn, nor the film’s production team commented on the arrest.
The Guardian said German federal prosecutors described Zhuravlev as a professional and experienced scuba diver and said he was part of a group led by another Ukrainian, Serhii K, who was extradited in 2025 to Germany from Italy.
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk told reporters that Germany should not prosecute the Nord Stream suspects, adding, "But Germany should certainly not prosecute those who, in a situation where their country has been attacked, take one action or another."
Extradition Fight and Stakes
Ukrinform said Miloš confirmed the defense would appeal the remand decision once the judge issues it in writing, and it reported that the defense has three days from receipt of the written decision to file an appeal.
“The lawyer stressed that the Ukrainian would not be extradited to Germany until a decision on the appeal is made.”
Miloš also stressed that the Ukrainian would not be extradited to Germany until a decision on the appeal is made, and he said the subsequent proceedings would involve a judicial panel deciding whether the conditions for extradition have been met.
The Independent reported that Poland’s authorities refused to extradite Zhuravlev in September 2025, saying Germany had no jurisdiction and that the destruction of the pipelines could be seen as a legitimate act of war rather than a crime.
The Guardian said Zhuravlev’s lawyers will seek to stop him from being sent to Germany, and it quoted Polish defence lawyer Tymoteusz Paprocki saying the case would be “precedent-setting” because a Croatian court would effectively hear a matter already decided in Poland.
Al Jazeera’s background section said no state has ever claimed responsibility for the blasts, and it added that Denmark and Sweden closed their investigations into the explosions in 2024 while Germany is still investigating the case.