A man from Ukraine was apprehended in Croatia on Wednesday in connection with underwater blasts that caused harm to the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany in 2022, as per Germany’s federal prosecutor. The individual, identified as Vladimir Z., was taken into custody in Pula, Croatia, by local law enforcement executing a European arrest warrant. Prosecutors disclosed that Vladimir Z., a certified scuba diver, was part of a group that planted explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022. The suspect is under strong suspicion of collectively orchestrating explosions, engaging in anti-constitutional sabotage, and damaging buildings and structures. Germany intends to seek the extradition of the accused, following a previous instance where Poland blocked the extradition of a person with a similar name and initial. The incidents on September 26, 2022, led to disruptions in pipelines designed to transport Russian natural gas to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. The destruction exacerbated tensions amidst the conflict in Ukraine as European nations sought to reduce their reliance on Russian energy supplies post the full-scale invasion by the Kremlin. Notably, the explosions impacted the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, previously a key conduit for Russian gas to Germany until supplies were halted by Moscow in August 2022. Additionally, Nord Stream 2 suffered harm and did not commence operations as Germany suspended its certification process shortly before Russia’s invasion. In a separate development, German federal prosecutors recently pressed charges against a former Ukrainian army officer, Serhii K., detained in Italy the preceding year. Serhii K. faces allegations of causing explosions, property damage, disruption of public services, and complicity in war crimes through attacks on civilian targets. German authorities claim that Serhii K. and accomplices departed from the port of Rostock using a yacht rented from a German firm. Russia has accused the U.S. of orchestrating the blasts, a claim refuted by Washington. The pipelines had long been criticized by the U.S. and some allies for heightening Europe’s reliance on Russian gas. The Ukrainian government has also denied involvement in the scheme.