Ex-Ukrainian officer denies role in Nord Stream pipeline sabotage
The defendant, named by German prosecutors only as Serhii K., denies any involvement as his Hamburg war crimes trial over the 2022 pipeline blasts continues.
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The former Ukrainian army officer on trial in Hamburg over the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage denies any involvement, Romanian broadcaster Antena 3 CNN reported, as his war crimes trial continued at the city's regional high court. German prosecutors, citing domestic privacy rules, refer to him only as Serhii K., a Ukrainian army commander and father of four; the news agency AFP has separately named him as Serghei Kuznetsov.
He is charged with war crimes over an attack on civilian infrastructure, as well as causing an explosion, destroying infrastructure and disrupting public services, Digi24 reported, citing the German press agency dpa. Prosecutors say he led a team of professional divers, a skipper and an explosives expert that planted charges on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines off the Danish island of Bornholm; the blasts of 26 September 2022 left four leaks across three of the four pipelines.
Investigators say he entered Germany in September 2022 using a false Ukrainian passport, having travelled through Poland, before joining his alleged accomplices in the Baltic port of Rostock aboard a rented sailing yacht used to carry explosives to the attack site.
He was arrested in Italy in August 2025 while on a family holiday on the Adriatic coast and extradited to Germany around three months later, where he has been held in pre-trial detention. Hamburg's regional high court has scheduled hearings into February; a conviction would carry several years in prison.
The case has fed a wider German debate over continued support for Ukraine, Tagesschau reported. Politicians from the AfD and BSW have cited the sabotage to call for a halt to aid to Kyiv and for damages and sanctions, while Green and SPD lawmakers say cutting support would only benefit Russia.
What we know
- The defendant denies any involvement, Antena 3 CNN reported; prosecutors refer to him only as Serhii K. under German privacy rules, while AFP has named him as Serghei Kuznetsov.
- He is charged with war crimes over an attack on civilian infrastructure, plus causing an explosion and destroying infrastructure, prosecutors say.
- Investigators say he entered Germany in September 2022 on a false passport via Poland before joining accomplices in the port of Rostock.
- He was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and extradited to Germany about three months later.
- Hamburg's regional high court has scheduled hearings into February; a conviction carries several years in prison.
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Why it matters for Europe
The trial has intensified Germany's political argument over Ukraine aid. Chancellor Friedrich Merz travelled to Kyiv on the evening of German Unity Day, announcing a further 1 billion euros in military aid and 350 million euros for Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Tagesschau reported, a trip the AfD has cited while pushing to link the pipeline case to a halt in support.
Sources
Reported by 7 reports from 7 independent outlets in 5 countries.
- Le Monde: Sabotage de Nord Stream : un ancien officier ukrainien devant les juges en Allemagne
- Știripesurse: Începe primul proces privind sabotajul conductelor de gaz Nord Stream: Pe banca acuzaţilor este un fost ofiţer ucrainean
- Tagesschau: Ukraine-Hilfen: Wie der Nord-Stream-Prozess die Stimmung verändern könnte
- 24 heures: Nord Stream: le procès du sabotage s’ouvre ce mercredi à Hambourg
- RTS Info: Un ancien officier ukrainien jugé en Allemagne dans l'affaire Nord Stream
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- Who is on trial over the Nord Stream sabotage?
- German prosecutors refer to him only as Serhii K., a Ukrainian army commander; AFP has named him as Serghei Kuznetsov. He denies any involvement.
- When and where did the pipelines explode?
- The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were attacked on 26 September 2022 in the Baltic Sea off Denmark's Bornholm island, leaving four leaks across three pipelines.
- How was the defendant caught?
- He was arrested in Italy in August 2025 while on a family holiday and extradited to Germany about three months later.
This article was written with AI assistance from 7 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.