Ukrainian Vladimir Zhuravlyov, arrested in Croatia on suspicion of involvement in the sabotage of Nord Stream, has requested political asylum in the country. Last week, a court in Pula allowed his extradition to Germany, and the defense plans to appeal the decision.
According to The Insider, citing Zhuravlyov’s lawyer. According to the defense, he is seeking asylum because he does not expect a fair trial in Germany, where he may be extradited. The lawyer also clarified that applying for asylum does not automatically suspend extradition.
Last week, a court in the Croatian city of Pula allowed Zhuravlyov to be extradited to Germany at the request of the German authorities. The final decision on the transfer must be made by Croatia’s High Criminal Court. The defense plans to appeal the decision, calling it biased and politically motivated.
Zhuravlyov was detained in Croatia in August of this year on suspicion of involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. He had previously been detained in Poland, but a Polish court rejected Germany’s extradition request, and the man was released.
According to media reports, Zhuravlyov flew to Croatia as a consultant for the filming of the feature film Snake Island, which tells the story of the pipeline sabotage. The explosions on Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 occurred in September 2022, damaging three of the four pipes in the gas pipeline network.
As part of the investigation launched in Germany, the alleged leader of the group that carried out the explosions, Ukrainian citizen Serhiy Kuznetsov, was also arrested. He was detained in Italy and extradited to Germany in November 2025.
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