A Ukrainian diver suspected of involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage was arrested in Pula, Croatia, while reportedly working on a Hollywood film about the attack, according to Croatian outlet Istra24 on Thursday, Aug. 20.
The suspect, identified in German documents as Vladimir Z., and reported by Croatian media as Volodymyr Zhuravlev, was arrested by Croatian police on Wednesday under a European arrest warrant issued by German authorities. German prosecutors have accused him of being part of a group that planted explosives on the Nord Stream pipelines near Denmark.
According to the Croatian outlet Istra24, the arrest took place while Zhuravlev was reportedly working as a consultant on the set of “Snake Island,” a political thriller being filmed in Pula and based on the Nord Stream sabotage. The film is directed by Doug Liman and stars Hollywood actors Sean Penn and Adrien Brody.
The coincidence has drawn attention because the film dramatizes an operation allegedly carried out by a group of Ukrainian divers – the same type of operation German prosecutors have accused Zhuravlev of participating in.
What is “Snake Island” about?
“Snake Island” is a fictional political thriller about a group of Ukrainian divers who undertake a dangerous underwater mission amid the escalation of Russia’s war against Ukrain
Filming began in Zagreb before moving to other locations in Croatia, including Rijeka and Pula. The production is expected to continue into early September, according to Istra24.
The film uses Croatian locations to portray the Baltic Sea setting of the real-life Nord Stream operation.
According to media reports, Zhuravlev was involved with the production as an adviser or consultant. The Guardian reported that he had been consulted on the film, while other reports said he participated as an expert.
What happened to Nord Stream?
Nord Stream consisted of two major underwater pipeline projects connecting Russia and Germany beneath the Baltic Sea.
Nord Stream 1 carried Russian natural gas to Germany, while Nord Stream 2 was completed but never entered service after Germany halted its certification following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
On Sept. 26, 2022, underwater explosions damaged three of the four pipeline lines, causing gas to leak into the Baltic Sea.
The explosions were treated as deliberate sabotage and triggered investigations in Sweden, Denmark and Germany. Sweden and Denmark later closed their investigations without publicly identifying those responsible, while Germany continued pursuing the case.
German investigators developed a hypothesis that a small group of people used a yacht called Andromeda to reach the area of the pipelines. The group allegedly included trained divers who went underwater and planted explosives on the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm.
German prosecutors have since identified several Ukrainian nationals as suspects.
One of the key suspects is former Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) officer Serhii K., whom German prosecutors have accused of leading the group. He was charged in July over his alleged involvement in the explosions and is accused of acting on behalf of Ukrainian government entities.
Zhuravlev is alleged to have been another member of the group.
The allegations have not been established in court, and the suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
German prosecutors have accused Serhii K. of acting on behalf of Ukrainian state entities, but the involvement of Ukrainian nationals does not establish that the Ukrainian government ordered the sabotage.
The investigation still concerns questions of who planned and organized the operation, who financed it and whether Ukrainian state authorities ordered or supported it.
The distinction is significant because individual involvement in an alleged operation and responsibility by the Ukrainian state are separate legal questions.
For now, German authorities are processing the suspects through criminal proceedings.