Zelenskyy denies Ukraine's involvement in Nord Stream sabotage, offers investigation support
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had no role in planning or carrying out the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage and reaffirmed the country's willingness to assist ongoing investigations.
Speaking to journalists at a meeting with leaders of the Nordic-Baltic Eight countries, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine was not involved in either the design or execution of the Nord Stream 2 sabotage operation, European Pravda reported, citing Ukrainska Pravda.
Asked to comment on recent developments in the case, Zelenskyy said the matter had already been discussed at a high level with German officials, who he claimed are fully aware that Ukraine bore no responsibility for the operation's concept or its execution.
Offer to cooperate
The president said Ukraine remains ready to support its partners on the issue, noting that both the Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are actively engaged and maintain ongoing contact with relevant parties. Zelenskyy stressed that preserving trust and partnership with European nations is a priority for Ukraine, which is why the country is fully open to joint steps in the investigation.
Detention case
The statement follows Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office announcement on 19 August that Ukrainian national Volodymyr Zhuravliov had been detained in Croatia in connection with the Nord Stream sabotage case. He was reportedly arrested while filming a Hollywood movie titled "Snake Island," based on the events surrounding the 2022 explosions on the pipelines off Germany's coast.
This marked the third attempt by German investigators to detain Zhuravliov. The first came in summer 2024 in Poland under a European arrest warrant, but he crossed into Ukraine before authorities could act. A second attempt occurred in autumn 2025 when he returned to Poland and was detained by local police, though extradition to Germany again did not follow. Another suspect in the case, Ukrainian national Serhii Kuznetsov, has been held in custody in Germany since his detention while on holiday in Italy last summer.
