A former Ukrainian army officer has gone on trial in Germany over the 2022 explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany, in a case that could shed more light on one of Europe’s most significant acts of sabotage in recent decades.
The suspect, identified under German privacy rules as Serhii K., was brought before the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg on Wednesday to face charges including causing an explosion, property damage, disruption of public services and complicity in war crimes.
Prosecutors allege that he helped organise and carry out the September 26, 2022, attacks intended to permanently disrupt Russian gas deliveries and prevent Moscow from earning revenue to finance its military operations.
The defendant, publicly identified as Serhii Kuznietsov during extradition proceedings in Italy, is believed by investigators to have been the alleged ringleader of the operation. He denies no charges in the supplied report, which does not state his plea.
According to prosecutors, the suspect and others used a yacht that departed from the German port of Rostock. The vessel was allegedly rented through intermediaries using forged identification documents.
Investigators say at least four explosive devices weighing between 14 and 27 kilogrammes were detonated at depths of between 70 and 80 metres near the Danish island of Bornholm.
The blasts ruptured Nord Stream 1, which had been a major route for Russian natural gas to Germany until Moscow halted supplies in August 2022. Nord Stream 2 was also damaged, although it had never entered service after Germany suspended its certification shortly before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The suspect was arrested in Italy in 2025 and extradited to Germany in November of that year. A second suspect was arrested in Croatia in August and has applied for asylum there in an effort to fight extradition to Germany.
The explosions triggered competing accusations over responsibility. While some Western countries initially pointed to Russia, investigators have increasingly examined possible links to Ukrainian security agencies. Ukraine has denied involvement, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected allegations that his country was behind the attack.
Russia, meanwhile, has accused US and British intelligence agencies and NATO of involvement, claims that have not been established by the court proceedings described in the report.
The trial is being held under tight security, with more than 100 journalists from several countries accredited to cover the case. Pro-Ukraine demonstrators also gathered outside the courthouse as proceedings began.
The case is expected to last several months, with 16 hearing dates scheduled through December 17 and further sessions planned for January and February 2027. The date of a verdict has not been announced.
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