Germany puts Ukrainian on trial over Nord Stream blasts
Germany begins the trial of Serhii K, a Ukrainian national accused of blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022, following his extradition from Italy.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Germany launches its first trial over the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions
- Serhii K. is accused of plotting with Ukrainian military personnel to blow up the pipelines
- The defendant denies the charges while a second suspect fights extradition in Croatia
- The high-profile case highlights sensitive diplomatic ties between Berlin and Kyiv
A German court in Hamburg has commenced a landmark trial involving a Ukrainian national accused of orchestrating the sabotage of Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines. The incident, widely regarded as one of the most dramatic attacks on European critical infrastructure in modern history, ruptured three of the four subsea gas pipelines off the Danish island of Bornholm on September 26, 2022.
German federal prosecutors state that the suspect, identified in court documents as Serhii K. (or Serhii Kuznetsov), was serving as an officer in the Ukrainian army at the time. He is alleged to have led a team of professional deep-sea divers, a boat captain, and an explosives expert to destroy the pipelines, aiming to cut off Russia's gas revenue funding for the war.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Serhii K. was arrested in August 2025 after checking into a hotel near the Italian Adriatic resort of Rimini, following a European arrest warrant issued by German prosecutors. He was transferred to Germany late last year after losing his legal battles against extradition in Italy. He maintains his innocence, mirroring a second suspect, Volodymyr Zhuravlov, who is currently challenging extradition proceedings in Croatia.
The German investigation focused heavily on a group of deep-sea divers who rented a yacht named Andromeda from the northern German port of Rostock. Investigators later reported finding traces of subsea explosives in samples taken from the vessel, after inquiries by Denmark and Sweden were formally closed.
"Nord Stream 2 was nothing but a tool used by Russia in order to get prepared for the war."
Oleksandr Merezhko, Ukrainian Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Chair
Oleksandr Merezhko, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Ukrainian parliament, argued that the blasts occurred during active warfare, stating that Nord Stream 2 served as a Russian preparation tool. Meanwhile, Stefan Meister from the German Council on Foreign Relations noted that Berlin has consistently attempted to depoliticize the case and leave it strictly within the judicial system.
The Nord Stream pipeline sabotage trial underscores a delicate geopolitical balancing act for European security and alliances. Once the primary arteries for Russian gas exports to Western Europe, the destruction of these pipelines reshaped regional energy dependencies. Prosecuting a Ukrainian military figure inside a key ally nation like Germany tests the resilience of diplomatic relations forged under the pressure of the ongoing conflict.
Source: BBC World
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