Ukrainian former officer goes on trial in Germany over Nord Stream blasts
publishers 40articles 45first reported 13 Oct, 12:40 UTCdeveloping since 13 Oct · 10 editions
A Ukrainian former military officer accused of organising the 2022 bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines went on trial Wednesday at the Hamburg Higher Regional Court.
German prosecutors allege that Serhii Kuznetsov, 50, led a team that included divers and an explosives expert and acted on behalf of unidentified Ukrainian state entities. They say the group rented a yacht in Rostock, sailed to waters near the Danish island of Bornholm and attached timer-controlled explosives to the pipelines on the Baltic Sea floor.
Explosions on September 26, 2022, ruptured three of Nord Stream’s four pipes and released large quantities of methane. Nord Stream 1 had been a major route for Russian gas to Germany, although Moscow had halted deliveries before the attack. Nord Stream 2 had been completed but never entered service after Germany suspended its approval shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine.
Kuznetsov denies involvement. His lawyer, Nicola Canestrini, sought dismissal of the case, arguing that Russia used the pipelines as a political and economic “weapon” and that infrastructure belonging to an aggressor could be a lawful target if its destruction harmed no one. The defence also said Kuznetsov’s obligation to protect Ukrainian state secrets restricted his ability to respond to the charges.
Prosecutors contend that attacking civilian infrastructure and disrupting public services amounted to a war crime. Ukraine denies involvement in the sabotage. Kuznetsov, arrested in Italy in August 2025 and extradited to Germany in November, is the first person tried in the case and the only defendant in the current proceedings.
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Written from 8 articles, 6 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 30 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
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- This version written
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