Nord Stream bombing suspect to Hollywood fixer: Who is Volodymyr Zhuravlev?

What the report says

Croatian authorities arrested Ukrainian diver Volodymyr Zhuravlev on Wednesday in connection with the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing German authorities and media coverage. He was detained in Croatia while reportedly working as a consultant on a Hollywood film set, adding an unusual entertainment-industry angle to a case that has remained politically sensitive across Europe.

Al Jazeera said German prosecutors allege Zhuravlev was part of a group involved in the sabotage of the pipelines, which run under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. Zhuravlev, described as a professional scuba diver and diving instructor, denies involvement. The article noted that he had previously avoided arrest in Poland and that a Polish court declined to enforce a German European arrest warrant last year, arguing the destruction could be seen in the context of Ukraine’s defensive war.

The Nord Stream blasts in September 2022 damaged both Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 in international waters near Denmark and Sweden. No state has claimed responsibility. Denmark and Sweden closed their investigations in 2024, while Germany continues to pursue the case. German prosecutors have separately charged a former Ukrainian army officer, Serhii K, saying he led a team that placed explosives on the pipelines.

Al Jazeera also reported that Zhuravlev was linked to the production of Snake Island, a film directed by Doug Liman and shot in Croatia, with Sean Penn and Adrien Brody among the cast. The case matters because it combines an active cross-border criminal investigation with broader questions about the war in Ukraine, European energy security and extradition within the EU.