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Nord Stream Denial
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that Kyiv did not take part in the 2022 bombing of the Nord Stream undersea gas pipelines, saying Germany was “well aware that Ukraine did not stand behind the execution or the very conception of this operation”.
“Germany was “well aware that Ukraine did not stand behind the execution or the very conception of this operation”.”
The dispute centers on German prosecutors’ allegation that the bomb blasts were ordered by the Ukrainian state, an accusation Zelenskyy has “always denied,” while he said Ukraine is helping Berlin with its investigation.
The Guardian reported that on Wednesday a Ukrainian man was arrested in Croatia on suspicion of taking part in the bombings, and that he was reportedly working on a film about the plot when arrested.
The Guardian also said German prosecutors allege the man collaborated with another Ukrainian man who was arrested in Italy in 2025, before being extradited to Germany.
Arrests and Trial
UnHerd said Volodymyr Zhuravlev, a deep-sea diver, was detained last week in the Croatian coastal city of Pula on suspicion connected to the Nord Stream operation, and it described him as reportedly acting as a consultant on the set of director Doug Liman’s next movie, Snake Island.
UnHerd added that the first of the Nord Stream criminal trials will start on 26 October in Hamburg, framing the looming proceedings as a potential test of what prosecutors can prove about who ordered the attacks and what President Volodymyr Zelensky knew.
The Guardian reported that Zelenskyy hoped the investigation would not cause a rift in relations and quoted him saying, “It is very important for us not to lose our partnership, not to lose the trust of European countries that have been helping Ukraine since the very beginning of this war.”
In parallel, DW said Zelensky repeated that Ukraine is collaborating with the investigation in Germany and again emphasized that Germany is “plenamente consciente de que Ucrania no estuvo detrás ni de la ejecución ni de la propia concepción de esta operación”.
War Stakes and Funding
Beyond the Nord Stream dispute, Zelenskyy used the same period to press Nordic and Baltic partners on the Ukraine war, urging help to strengthen Kyiv’s air defenses, secure funding, and maintain pressure on Russia, according to his office as carried by Anadolu Ajansı.
“He said Ukraine faces a $27 billion defense funding shortfall, including about $10 billion needed to ensure weapons supplies in the first quarter of 2027”
Anadolu Ajansı reported that Zelenskyy said Ukraine faces a $27 billion defense funding shortfall, including about $10 billion needed to ensure weapons supplies in the first quarter of 2027, and he urged European partners to advance credit financing.
The Guardian also placed the briefing in a wider timeline, noting that Ukraine on Monday celebrates independence while also marking exactly four and a half years since the Russian full-scale invasion of 24 February 2022.
In the same briefing, the Guardian said the “coalition of the willing” supporting Ukraine will meet in Kyiv on Monday, jointly chaired by the leaders of Britain, France and Germany, and it reported that Andy Burnham is set to announce that the British government will let defence firm MBDA release classified information so Ukraine and France can set up local production of the long-range Storm Shadow/Scalp missile.