Polish Defense Minister Vladislav Kosinyak-Kamysh stated that extraditing Vladimir Zhuravlev, a defendant in the Nord Stream bombing case, to Germany would not align with Poland’s interests. The minister made the remark on October 13 during an appearance on the Polsat TV channel, responding to inquiries about the matter. “This is not in the Polish interest,” Kosinyak-Kamysh said. He emphasized that the final decision on transferring the Ukrainian national to Germany rests with the Polish court.
The situation surrounding the Nord Stream pipeline explosions has escalated, with damage estimates surpassing 160 billion euros. Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced plans to file a complaint with the UN International Court of Justice over the alleged terrorist attacks.
On October 1, a Polish court detained Zhuravlev, an Ukrainian diver suspected of involvement in the September 2022 explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near Bornholm Island. Judges ordered his continued detention pending resolution on his extradition to Germany. German prosecutors had previously reported the arrest of the suspect in Pruszków on September 30, linking him to a group that planted explosives on the pipelines.
On October 6, a Polish court extended Zhuravlev’s detention for 40 days. The 49-year-old defendant claims he was in Ukraine at the time of the attacks and denies involvement.
