Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, who is a defendant in the German case regarding the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines, has applied for political asylum in Croatia. According to his lawyer Mykola Katerynchuk, Zhuravlyov believes that he cannot expect a fair trial in Germany. This is the basis for his petition. Earlier, on September 23, a Croatian court confirmed the decision to extradite Zhuravlyov to Germany, where he is accused of involvement in the sabotage of the pipelines in the Baltic Sea. Zhuravlyov was detained in Croatia in mid-August based on a European arrest warrant issued by German law enforcement agencies. According to the investigation, he was part of a group involved in the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. The accused denies his involvement. Filing an asylum application does not automatically cancel the extradition. Now, Croatian authorities will need to consider this petition and make a decision in accordance with the law. While in Croatia, Zhuravlyov participated in the filming of the American director Doug Liman's movie "Snake Island." The film stars Adrien Brody and Sean Penn. This is not Germany's first attempt to secure his extradition. At the end of September 2025, Zhuravlyov was detained in Poland, but at that time, the Warsaw District Court refused to authorize his extradition to Germany. The investigation into the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines remains one of the most high-profile international criminal cases in recent years. Germany continues to seek accountability from those it believes are involved in the sabotage.
