Suspect in Nord Stream Pipeline Bombing Detained on Set of Film About the Very Same Blast

Ukrainian national Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, suspected of masterminding the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline, was detained by Croatian police on Wednesday under a European arrest warrant. The irony: at the time of his arrest, he was working as a consultant on the set of a film — about the very Nord Stream blast he's accused of orchestrating.

According to The Guardian, Zhuravlyov had already twice managed to slip through the fingers of German investigators. The first time, he reportedly fled Poland hidden in the trunk of a diplomatic car; the second time, a court released him. This latest arrest, however, went ahead in Croatia on the basis of a German request, despite the earlier Polish court ruling.

Consulting on a Film About His Own Case

In Croatia, Zhuravlyov was working as a consultant on "Snake Island," a film directed by Doug Liman, best known for the Jason Bourne franchise. The movie tells the story of the Nord Stream bombing itself, with Oscar winners Sean Penn and Adrien Brody in the lead roles.

Zhuravlyov is now the second suspected saboteur to be detained in connection with the destruction of the pipeline that once carried Russian gas — an operation investigators believe was carried out on the orders of Ukrainian intelligence services. The first was Serhii K., extradited from Italy to Germany last year, who is believed to have led the entire group. Both divers, along with the Ukrainian government, deny any involvement in the blasts.

A Jurisdictional Dispute Between EU Countries

Zhuravlyov's lawyers will now fight to prevent his extradition to Germany. Should the case remain in Croatia, an unprecedented situation would arise: a Croatian court would have to reconsider a matter already ruled on by another EU state — Poland. Last year, a Polish court determined that Germany lacked jurisdiction over the case, and that sabotaging the pipeline could be considered a legitimate act within a defensive war.

That Polish ruling was likely shaped by the stance of the Polish government itself, which has long opposed the pipeline as a symbol of the German chancellors' overly close pre-war ties with Moscow. "The problem with Nord Stream 2 isn't that it was blown up — it's that it was ever built in the first place," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said.

Source: novinky.cz