Croatia approves extradition of Ukrainian suspect in Nord Stream sabotage

A Croatian court in Pula has approved the extradition of Ukrainian national Volodymyr Zhuravlov to Germany. Zhuravlov is suspected of involvement in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

German authorities have issued two European arrest warrants for Zhuravlov. The charges include sabotage against the constitutional order and the intentional destruction of buildings, as well as war crimes related to attacks on civilian infrastructure. German prosecutors allege that the group involved acted with the approval of Ukrainian state authorities, a claim that Kyiv has denied.

Zhuravlov, described as a professional diver, was detained in Pula in August. His defense team has characterized the court's decision as ‘biased and political’ and has announced plans to appeal. The defense also noted that Zhuravlov intends to begin an indefinite hunger strike in protest of the ruling, citing a previous decision by a Polish court that refused a similar extradition request.