Germany puts Ukrainian on trial, accused of blowing up Nord Stream pipelines

A Ukrainian former military officer, Sergiy Kuznietsov, is currently standing trial in Germany, accused of masterminding the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline sabotage. The trial commenced on October 14, 2026, in Hamburg, with Kuznietsov, 50, facing charges related to leading a team of divers who allegedly planted explosives on the pipelines. He was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and subsequently extradited to Germany to face these accusations.

Prosecutors allege that Kuznietsov acted on behalf of Ukrainian state authorities, using a rented yacht to transport military-grade explosives to the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm. The charges against him include being an accomplice to a war crime by attacking civilian infrastructure, causing an explosion, damaging property, and disrupting public services.

Kuznietsov has denied any involvement in the blasts, and his legal team has indicated he will not testify due to restrictions on discussing his military service for national security reasons. The Ukrainian government has also consistently denied its involvement in the Nord Stream explosions, an incident that severely damaged three of the four pipelines designed to deliver Russian gas to Europe.