Den ukrainesche Staatsbierger Vladimir Z. gouf am kroatesche Pula duerch déi lokal Police mat Hëllef vun der Koordinatioun duerch d'Generaldirektioun vun der Police zu Zagreb festgeholl, dat op Grondlag vun engem internationale Mandat d'arrêt. Hie war scho virun engem Joer a Polen festgeholl ginn, e polnescht Geriicht hat allerdéngs seng Ausliwwerung an Däitschland refuséiert an hie koum nees op fräie Fouss.
Géint de Beschëllegten, e geléierten Daucher, besteet den dréngende Verdacht, bei der Sabotage vun den Nord-Stream-Pipelinë bedeelegt gewiescht ze sinn. Hie gehéiert zu enger Persounegrupp, déi am Ëmfeld vum gesichte Serhii K. operéiert an déi responsabel ass, d'Sprengsätz un de Gaspipelinen "Nord Stream 1" an "Nord Stream 2" an der Géigend vun der Insel Bornholm am September 2022 befestegt ze hunn. De Vladimir Z. soll bei den Dauchgäng dobäi gewiescht sinn. Vu Rostock aus hätt hien zesumme mat anere Mattäter eng Seegelyacht benotzt. D'Boot war mat Hëllef vu Mëttelsmänner a falsche Pabeiere bei enger däitscher Firma gelount ginn.
D'Sprengsätz waren de 26. September 2022 detonéiert an hate fir massiv Schied un de Pipelinë gesuergt. De Serhii K., e fréieren ukraineschen Offizéier, gouf schonn den 30. Juni 2026 zu Hamburg ugeklot. Hie war am August 2025 wärend der Vakanz an Italien festgeholl ginn.
Arrest in Relation to the Suspected Sabotage Against the "Nord Stream" Gas Pipelines
This morning (19 August 2026), the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office had Ukrainian national Vladimir Z. arrested in Pula (Croatia) by local police forces under the coordination of the Zagreb General Police Directorate in execution of a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Investigating Judge at the Federal Court of Justice on 3 June 2024.
The above-mentioned individual is strongly suspected of jointly causing explosions (section 308 para. 1 of the German Criminal Code [StGB]), anti-constitutional sabotage (section 88 para. 1 no. 3 StGB), and destruction of buildings and structures (section 305 para. 1 StGB).
In essence, the arrest warrant sets out the following allegations:
Vladimir Z. is a trained scuba diver. He was part of a group of individuals - surrounding separately prosecuted Serhii K. - that planted explosives on the "Nord Stream 1" and "Nord Stream 2" gas pipelines near the island of Bornholm in September 2022. The suspect participated in the necessary dives. To this end, he and his co-perpetrators departed from Rostock on board a sailing yacht. Intermediaries had previously rented the yacht from a German company with falsified IDs. The explosives detonated on 26 September 2022, causing substantial damages to both pipelines.
The suspect shall be brought before the Investigating Judge at the Federal Court of Justice upon his extradition from Croatia.
The Federal Public Prosecutor's office filed an indictment against Serhii K. before the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg on 30 June 2026 (see press release no. 41 of 2 July 2026).
