Suspect in gas pipeline explosions requests asylum
Ukrainian citizen Vladimir Zhuravlyov, suspected of involvement in the bombing of the "Nord Stream" gas pipelines, has requested political asylum in Croatia. His extradition to Germany had previously been approved by a court.
Suspect in gas pipeline explosions requested asylum
According to DW, citing "Suspilne", Zhuravlov's lawyer Mykola Katerynchuk announced this on September 30. The defense attorney stated that his client requested asylum because he did not believe his case would be impartially reviewed in Germany.
A Croatian court approved Zhuravlov's extradition to Germany on September 23.
The suspect was arrested in mid-August based on a warrant issued by German law enforcement agencies. According to the German publication LTO, he was detained during the filming of a documentary about the gas pipeline explosions.
Zhuravlov was also detained in Poland at the end of September 2025. However, at that time, the Warsaw District Court refused to extradite him to Germany.
The explosions on the "Nord Stream" and "Nord Stream 2" undersea gas pipelines occurred in September 2022 in Denmark's exclusive economic zone. Swedish experts detected traces of explosives at the scene.
During the subsequent investigation, German specialists identified six Ukrainian citizens who may have been involved in the explosions. Among them is Zhuravlov, who worked as a diving instructor. An arrest warrant has been issued for each of the suspects.