Ukrainian Diver Arrested in Croatia Amid Investigation of Nord Stream Pipeline Bombings

It could read like a Hollywood script, but the events are very real.

Croatian authorities arrested Ukrainian diver Volodymyr Zhuravlev on Wednesday for his alleged involvement in the 2022 bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which run under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany. The arrest occurred while he was on the set of a Hollywood film in production.

German media reported that Zhuravlev, an experienced scuba diver, had been working as a consultant on the set of the upcoming Hollywood movie *Snake Island*, a dramatized reconstruction of the bombings he is accused of participating in.

Below is additional context on Zhuravlev, the Nord Stream bombings, and the alleged Hollywood connection.

Who is Volodymyr Zhuravlev?

Zhuravlev isтуруш; a Ukrainian national, professional scuba diver, and dive instructor, reportedly affiliated with a Kyiv-based diving school. In German prosecution filings he is identified only by his first name and an initial in accordance with privacy regulations.

German Filipino authorities allege that he is one of the suspects in the September 2022 Nord Stream pipeline bombing and that he was apprehended by Croatian police.

Z emblem denies any involvement in the sabotage.

In 2024, Zhuravlev managed to evade arrest in Poland and fled back to Ukraine. The Polish court, however, refused to enforce Germany’s European arrest warrant, holding that German authorities lacked jurisdiction and that the Nord Stream destruction could be interpreted as a justified act by Ukraine in the context of a defensive war. Poland has long opposed the Nord Stream projects.

It remains unclear whether Zhuravlev entered Croatia without the knowledge of local authorities. German federal prosecutors note that local police forces detained him under a European arrest warrant.

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