A Polish court last week blocked the extradition of Volodymyr Zhuravlov to Germany and ordered his release, a decision that was welcomed by the Polish authorities.
Speaking to Polish state broadcaster TVP after the ruling, Zhuravlov declared: “I did not commit any crime in Germany, and I did not blow up Nord Stream.”
Zhuravlov, who has lived in Poland since 2022 and spoke Polish during the interview, said that he first learned he was a suspect when Poland’s security services searched his home.
“I found out I was a suspect last year, when my home was searched by the Internal Security Agency accompanied by German investigators,” he said.
“I happened to be away at the time. As a result of the search, all of my diving equipment—such as fins and masks—was seized. I have no idea why,” he added.
German prosecutors believe Zhuravlov was among a group of divers that planted explosives on the pipelines in 2022, effectively disabling them.
(mo/gs)
Click on the audio player above to listen to a report by Michał Owczarek.