Ukrainian suspect in Nord Stream sabotage requests asylum in Croatia

A Ukrainian scuba diver named Volodymyr Zhuravliov has requested political asylum in Croatia, according to Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne. Zhuravliov is currently detained in Croatia after being apprehended on August 19 under a European arrest warrant issued by Germany. The warrant stems from German allegations that Zhuravliov assisted in placing explosives on the Nord Stream gas pipelines during an alleged covert operation carried out from a yacht docked in Rostock. These pipelines were intended to transport Russian natural gas to Germany through the Baltic Sea.

The Ukrainian suspect's attorney, Mykola Katerynchuk, claimed that Zhuravliov would not receive a fair trial in Germany, thus justifying the asylum request. However, a Croatian court granted extradition to Germany on September 18, although the attorney clarified that the asylum request does not automatically halt the extradition process.

Zhuravliov was initially detained in Poland in September 2022 but was released a month later when a Polish court refused to extradite him to Germany. The Polish court argued that the Nord Stream sabotage might be deemed a justified act in the context of Ukraine's defense against Russia.

German authorities have linked the sabotage to a pro-Ukraine group, believed to be led by another Ukrainian national, Serhii Kuznetsov, who has been detained in Germany since August 2025. However, Kyiv has denied any involvement in the explosions. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was never put into service, has been a contentious issue in European energy politics, with critics arguing that it increased Germany's reliance on Russian gas and weakened European energy security.