Energy & Resources
Nord Stream attack: Zelensky denies Ukraine role again
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Kyiv did not take part in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline attack, repeating a denial after German prosecutors alleged the bombings were ordered by the Ukrainian state.
Zelensky told reporters that Ukraine had never officially taken part in any operation linked to blowing up the pipelines. He said Germany was aware Ukraine was not behind the execution or planning of the operation, and that Kyiv was helping Berlin's investigation.
He said Ukraine hoped the case would not damage its partnership with European countries that have supported Kyiv since Russia's full-scale invasion.
German prosecutors have accused Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, a Ukrainian suspect arrested in Croatia on Wednesday under a German arrest warrant, of helping plant explosives on the Baltic Sea energy link between Russia and Germany. German Legal Tribune Online reported that Zhuravlyov was arrested while working on a movie about the attack.
Prosecutors allege Zhuravlyov collaborated with Sergiy Kuznetsov, another Ukrainian man arrested in Italy last year before being extradited to Germany. Media reports said Zhuravlyov worked as an adviser on the film, but that reported role has not been confirmed by German or Croatian authorities.
The 2022 explosions destroyed three of the four Nord Stream pipelines, which carried Russian gas to Europe. The case is politically sensitive for Germany and Ukraine because Berlin has strongly supported Kyiv against Russia.
Update
Volodymyr Zelensky again denied that Ukraine took part in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline attack.
Zelensky said Kyiv was helping Berlin with its investigation.
Zelensky said Ukraine hoped the investigation would not damage trust with European partners.
Source note: AFP news report published on 23 August 2026 at 16:11:39 UTC.
Update
German Legal Tribune Online reported that Volodymyr Zhuravlyov was arrested while working on the set of the movie 'Snake Island'.
Media reports said Zhuravlyov worked as an adviser for the film.
The reported film is by US director Doug Liman and stars Adrien Brody and Sean Penn.
Source note: AFP news report published on 20 August 2026 at 15:16:54 UTC.
Update
Croatian police said they arrested an individual at a tourist facility in the Pula area.
Croatian police said checks were under way to confirm whether the detainee was the person sought under Germany's European arrest warrant.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 12:28:05 UTC.
Update
The suspect was identified as Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, while German prosecutors only partially named him in their statement.
Zhuravlyov was previously arrested in Poland on the same charges, but Polish authorities refused to extradite him and released him.
German investigators believe the 2022 Nord Stream attack was ordered by a Ukrainian state agency to deprive Russia of future energy revenues, according to the source item.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his government knew nothing about any plan to blow up the pipelines.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 11:17:29 UTC.
Update
German prosecutors alleged Vladimir Z. was part of a group that sabotaged the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm.
Prosecutors said Z. worked closely with Sergiy Kuznetsov, another Ukrainian man arrested in Italy last year before extradition to Hamburg.
Prosecutors alleged the men used a yacht rented in Germany by intermediaries using false identification documents.
Prosecutors alleged Z. participated in the dives needed for the sabotage.
German prosecutors said they were pursuing Z.'s extradition from Croatia.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 10:00:06 UTC.
Update
German prosecutors identified the arrested man as Ukrainian Vladimir Z.
German prosecutors said he was arrested by local police in Pula, Croatia.
German prosecutors described him as a trained scuba diver and said he was strongly suspected of jointly causing explosions.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 09:37:50 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The reported film role of Volodymyr Zhuravlyov has not been confirmed by German or Croatian authorities.
Ukraine denies involvement, while German prosecutors allege the bombings were ordered by the Ukrainian state.
Source
AFP news report published on .