Hamburg trial opens for Ukrainian accused of Nord Stream pipeline sabotage
The trial of Serhii K, a 50-year-old Ukrainian former Special Forces soldier, opened Wednesday at the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg over the September 2022 bombings of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. German federal prosecutors charge him as an accomplice to a war crime against civilian objects, alleging he led a seven-member commando team that used the chartered yacht Andromeda to plant explosives near Bornholm on behalf of Ukrainian state agencies. He and Ukraine deny involvement. Another suspect, Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, is fighting extradition from Croatia.
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Hamburg Trial Opens Over Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage
A trial began Wednesday in Hamburg against Serhii K., a 50-year-old Ukrainian accused of leading a commando unit that bombed the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022. German federal prosecutors charge him as an accomplice to a war crime against civilian objects, alleging he acted on orders from state authorities to prevent Russia from profiting from gas sales. Prosecutors say a seven-member team using the chartered yacht Andromeda planted explosives near Bornholm. Evidence includes a scanned fake passport, a speeding camera photo, and seized phone data with sea charts. The defense has not commented, citing lack of authorization from the Ukrainian military. The case raises questions about whether the attack was a legitimate military target and whether Kyiv ordered it.
Trial of Ex-Ukrainian Officer for Nord Stream Blasts Begins in Hamburg Court
On Wednesday, the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg will begin the trial of a former Ukrainian officer accused of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022. The article, published by Die Welt on October 10, 2026, reports that the defendant is a former officer from Kyiv. The key piece of evidence reportedly came from a tourist's photographs taken near the leak site off the Danish island of Bornholm. The article raises the question of whether the act constitutes a war crime. The trial is expected to address the sabotage of the critical energy infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
Read sourceUkrainian ex-soldier to stand trial in Hamburg for Nord Stream pipeline sabotage
A Ukrainian man, identified as Serhii K (also known as Serhii Kuznetsov), is set to stand trial in Hamburg, Germany, accused of orchestrating the September 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. German police, after a painstaking investigation, followed forensic evidence to Ukraine, concluding that Serhii K, a former Ukrainian Special Forces soldier, commanded a crew that planted explosives on the pipelines using a rented yacht. He faces charges of causing an explosion and a war crime for attacking civilian infrastructure, allegedly on behalf of Ukrainian state agencies. Both he and Ukraine deny involvement. The trial follows his extradition from Italy, where he was arrested while on holiday. Another suspect, Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, is fighting extradition from Croatia. The case has political implications, with some Ukrainians viewing the sabotage as a justified act against Russian leverage, while Germany insists its justice system operates independently of politics.
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German Police Trace Nord Stream Sabotage Evidence to Ukraine Suspect
A Ukrainian man, identified in extradition files as Serhii Kuznetsov and referred to in court as Serhii K, is set to stand trial in Hamburg accused of commanding the September 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage. German prosecutors allege he led a crew of deep-sea divers using a rented yacht, Andromeda, to plant high-performance explosives that ruptured three of four pipelines. He is charged with causing an explosion and a war crime for attacking civilian infrastructure, allegedly on behalf of Ukrainian state agencies. Both he and Ukraine deny involvement. Another suspect, Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, is fighting extradition from Croatia. The case has political implications as Germany is Ukraine's biggest military aid supplier, and the far-right AfD has seized on the case.
German Police Trace Nord Stream Sabotage Evidence to Ukraine Suspect
A Ukrainian man, identified in extradition proceedings as Serhii Kuznetsov and referred to as Serhii K, is set to stand trial in Hamburg accused of commanding the September 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage. German prosecutors allege he led a crew of deep-sea divers using a rented yacht, Andromeda, to plant high-performance explosives that ruptured three of four pipelines. He is charged with causing an explosion and a war crime for attacking civilian infrastructure, allegedly on behalf of Ukrainian state agencies. Both he and Ukraine deny involvement. Another suspect, Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, is fighting extradition from Croatia. The case has political implications for Germany, a major Ukraine ally, and has been seized upon by the far-right AfD party.
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