A Croatian court has granted permission for the extradition of Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, a Ukrainian national, to Germany. Official notification of the court’s decision is expected to reach his legal team shortly.
The firm representing Zhuravlyov stated that the Croatian court seemingly overlooked a prior ruling from a Polish court, which had denied a similar extradition request for him. They expressed strong disagreement with the court’s verdict and are preparing to appeal the decision in higher courts and international judicial bodies.
“Tomorrow, September 24, Zhuravlyov will announce his indefinite hunger strike in protest against this ruling,” the statement indicated.
Context
- On the night of September 26, 2022, underwater explosions were detected along the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea, leading to gas leaks. Defense ministers from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland labeled the incident a sabotage, with evidence of explosive materials found at the site. An investigation in 2024 was halted without naming suspects.
- Germany issued arrest warrants for seven Ukrainians suspected of involvement in the explosions. Reports suggest that four divers, including a female explosives expert, a skipper from Odessa, and a coordinator were involved in the preparation of the blasts. One suspect may have died at the front.
- Zhuravlyov was detained in the Polish town of Pruszków in late September 2025, but a district court in Warsaw refused to extradite him under a German intelligence service warrant, subsequently releasing him from custody. It is believed he was later apprehended in Croatia.
- Another suspect in this case, Ukrainian Serhiy Kuznetsov, is currently in custody in Germany. He was extradited from Italy in November last year and charged with attacking civilian energy infrastructure, which is classified as a war crime under international law. This legal classification was later added to the arrest warrant for Zhuravlyov.
