Volodymyr Zhuravlev, a key suspect in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions, has been arrested in the Croatian city of Pula. German federal prosecutors confirmed his detention on Wednesday, stating it was carried out by local police forces acting on a European arrest warrant.
In a surprising development, German media reported that Zhuravlev had been acting as a consultant on the film "Snake Island," directed by Hollywood filmmaker Doug Liman. The fictional political thriller, currently being shot in Croatia, reconstructs the alleged act of sabotage involving the Nord Stream pipelines.
Zhuravlev's Polish defence lawyer, Tymoteusz Paprocki, stated that lawyers will now attempt to prevent his client's extradition to Germany. Paprocki suggested that if Zhuravlev remains in Croatia, the case could be "precedent-setting" as a Croatian court would hear a matter previously decided in Poland.
Last year, a Polish court ruled against executing a European arrest warrant for Zhuravlev, arguing Germany lacked jurisdiction and that the destruction of Nord Stream could be seen as a justified action by Ukraine. German prosecutors have described Zhuravlev as an experienced scuba diver and part of a group that allegedly planted explosives on behalf of Ukrainian intelligence bosses.