Croatian court postpones hearing on Zhuravlov’s extradition: Germany adds "war crime" charge to warrant
A court hearing on the possible extradition of Ukrainian national Volodymyr Zhuravlov from Croatia to Germany in the case concerning the sabotage of the "Nord Stream" pipelines, scheduled for September 4, has been postponed. According to the defence, the reason was that Germany had updated the European Arrest Warrant by adding a new legal classification of "war crime."
The law firm Katerynchuk, Moor & Partners, which represents the Ukrainian national, reported this, Censor.NET informs.
"For the defence, this marks a new stage in the fight for the rights of a Ukrainian citizen. We continue our work. We will report any further developments in the case immediately," the lawyers said.
The statement did not specify a new date for the court hearing.
Earlier, a Polish court refused to extradite Zhuravlov to Germany and released him from custody. However, in August 2026, the Ukrainian was detained again, this time in Croatia on the basis of a European Arrest Warrant.
On September 4, a Croatian court was due to consider whether he could be extradited to Germany. Zhuravlov’s defence questioned, in particular, whether another EU country could extradite a Ukrainian national after a Polish court had already refused to hand him over to the German authorities.
The sabotage of the ‘Nord Stream’ pipelines
- On 26 September 2022, three explosions occurred on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which run along the seabed of the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, causing massive gas leaks.
- The governments of the US, the UK, and the EU have stated that this was a deliberate act of sabotage.
- In early February 2024, Sweden closed its investigation into the bombing of the Nord Stream pipeline due to a lack of jurisdiction.
- Subsequently, Germany issued arrest warrants for all those suspected of carrying out acts of sabotage on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022. All of them are Ukrainian nationals.
- The Bologna Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of the extradition to Germany of the Ukrainian national Serhii Kuznetsov.
- On 1 October, the Warsaw District Court ruled that the Ukrainian national Volodymyr Zh., whom the German authorities suspect of involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022, should be remanded in custody for seven days.
- On 6 October, the Warsaw Regional Court extended the detention of the Ukrainian national Volodymyr Zh. by 40 days.
- The Court of Appeal in Bologna upheld the decision to extradite to Germany Ukrainian national Serhii Kuznetsov, who is suspected of involvement in the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022.
- Subsequently, the Italian Constitutional Court authorised the extradition of Ukrainian citizen Serhii Kuznetsov to Germany.
- On 27 November, Italy extradited the Ukrainian Serhii Kuznetsov to Germany.
- On 28 November, Kuznetsov was taken into custody in Germany.
- According to media reports, Kuznetsov served in the Special Operations Forces.
- On July 1, 2026, Germany’s Federal Prosecutor General for the first time brought formal charges against Ukrainian citizen Serhii Kuznietsov, who is suspected of involvement in the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines on September 26, 2022.
- On August 19, it became known that another suspect in the case concerning the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines had been detained in Croatia. The suspect was Volodymyr Zhuravlov.
- On August 20, a Croatian court remanded Zhuravlov in custody.
