A former Ukrainian army officer faces trial in Hamburg for alleged sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. Prosecutors charge him with causing explosions and disrupting public service.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
A former Ukrainian army officer is going on trial in Germany this week over undersea explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany four years ago. The case, described in reports as one of the biggest acts of sabotage in Europe since the Second World War, begins Wednesday at the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg.
The suspect, identified in court as Serhii K. due to German privacy rules, faces charges of causing an explosion, damaging property, disrupting public service and being an "accomplice to war crimes" by attacking civilian infrastructure, according to prosecutors. He was publicly named as Serhii Kuznietsov during extradition proceedings in Italy.
Prosecutors say the aim of the plot was to permanently disrupt gas deliveries and prevent Russia from using the revenues to finance its military operations. The explosions on Sept. 26, 2022, ruptured the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which was Russia’s main natural gas supply route to Germany until Moscow cut off supplies in August 2022. They also damaged Nord Stream 2, which never entered service because Germany suspended its certification process shortly before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to the indictment, the defendant and others allegedly used a yacht that set off from the German port of Rostock. The vessel had been hired from a German company using forged IDs and with the help of intermediaries. The suspect allegedly organized and carried out the detonation of at least four bombs between 14 and 27 kilograms (around 31 to 62 pounds) at a depth of 70 to 80 meters (230 feet to 263 feet) near the Danish island of Bornholm.
The suspect was detained in August in an Italian village, where officers raided a bungalow where he was staying with his family. Police said he surrendered without resistance. He was extradited to Germany in November.
A second suspect was arrested on a European warrant in the northern Croatian town of Pula in August. He has applied for asylum in Croatia to fight his extradition to Germany.
While international observers initially blamed Moscow, there are now increasing suggestions that Ukrainian state security agencies may have been involved. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied allegations that his country was involved in the pipeline blasts. He told reporters in August that Ukraine’s prosecutors and Foreign Ministry were already cooperating with partners and that Kyiv was "absolutely open to joint steps on the investigation," stressing the importance of keeping Europe’s trust.
Russian officials have claimed that U.S. and British intelligence agencies were involved in staging the explosions, which Moscow declared "an act of international terrorism," and have launched their own investigation. Russia has also accused NATO of involvement in the attack. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday that "we expect objectivity." "We expect … that both the perpetrators and those who ordered it will be named. That would be very important. I think no one doubts who it really is," Peskov said.
Joachim Weber, a security expert at the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies at the University of Bonn, stated, "all the evidence points very clearly to the fact that Ukraine blew up the Nord Stream pipelines, not the Russians, whom they initially tried to pin the blame on." Weber noted that this is "highly explosive politically, because, as is well known, Germany is one of Ukraine’s closest allies."
The trial highlights the complex geopolitical tensions surrounding the energy infrastructure that once connected Russia and Europe. Although the German government has refrained from comment, pointing out that the case is in the hands of the independent judiciary, the proceedings could strain relations between Berlin and Kyiv. However, Weber argued that even a conviction would likely have little impact on German-Ukrainian relations, stating, "we naturally want Ukraine to survive," not least as a buffer against Russia.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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