Nord Stream sabotage trial resumes in Hamburg after bid to halt it fails
A Hamburg court rejected a defence bid to halt the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage trial, ruling Ukrainian secrecy rules do not bar a fair trial.
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The trial of a Ukrainian former military officer accused of organising the September 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines resumed in Hamburg on Tuesday, after judges rejected a defence bid to halt proceedings.
Judges at the Hamburg Higher Regional Court ruled that confidentiality rules binding defendant Serhii Kuznetsov under Ukrainian military law do not on their own stop him from getting a fair hearing in Germany, Kyiv Post reported. His lawyers had sought to halt the case, arguing he could not mount an effective defence while bound by secrecy obligations, a claim backed by a sworn statement from his former commanding officer.
The court found that those obligations do not automatically block his prosecution, and noted that Kuznetsov had never applied for permission to reveal the restricted material. Federal prosecutor Stefan Schmidt argued that human-rights protections cannot be stretched to mean a government can derail a trial merely by refusing a defendant clearance to discuss classified information.
Kuznetsov, 50, denies involvement. He is charged with causing an explosion, destroying structures, disrupting public services and a war crime over an attack on civilian objects, Lithuanian outlet Respublika reported. Prosecutors allege he helped organise the operation that damaged three of the four Nord Stream pipeline strings beneath the Baltic Sea, which they say was carried out on behalf of Ukrainian state authorities; Ukraine has denied responsibility for the attacks.
The defence also disputes the evidence of Kuznetsov's alleged leadership role and has challenged the prosecution's characterisation of the pipelines as civilian infrastructure, arguments first raised when the trial opened on 14 October. The court said it would also seek improvements to Kuznetsov's detention conditions.
German magazine Stern has reported that federal prosecutors gave the Russian-controlled pipeline operators Nord Stream AG and Nord Stream 2 AG extensive access to the investigation files, with Nord Stream 2 AG's lawyers granted full access as early as spring 2026, months before the trial opened, according to n-tv. Gazprom, Russia's state gas company, owns Nord Stream 2 AG outright and holds 51% of Nord Stream AG.
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What we know
- 2+ outlets · Kyiv Post, Respublika Hamburg's Higher Regional Court rejected a defence bid to halt the Nord Stream sabotage trial, ruling Ukrainian secrecy rules do not bar a fair trial.
- 1 outlet · Kyiv Post Defendant Serhii Kuznetsov, 50, a former Ukrainian military officer, denies involvement in the September 2022 pipeline blasts and faces charges including causing an explosion and a war crime.
- 2+ outlets · Kyiv Post, Respublika Prosecutors say the operation, which damaged three of the four Nord Stream pipeline strings, was carried out on behalf of Ukrainian state authorities; Ukraine denies responsibility.
- 1 outlet · n-tv Nord Stream 2 AG, wholly owned by Russia's Gazprom, was given full access to investigation files months before the trial opened, German magazine Stern reported.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Claims in this story
Claims tracker →- UnverifiedGerman prosecutors· 27 Oct 2026
German prosecutors allege the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage was carried out on behalf of Ukrainian state authorities.
- UnverifiedUkraine· 27 Oct 2026
Ukraine has denied responsibility for the attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
- UnverifiedUkraine· 27 Oct 2026
Ukraine denies responsibility for the Nord Stream pipeline attacks.
Why it matters for Europe
The September 2022 blasts near the Danish island of Bornholm destroyed Russia's main gas export route to Germany, which had carried Russian gas to Europe's biggest economy since 2011 under agreements signed by Vladimir Putin and then-chancellor Gerhard Schröder. Nord Stream 2, completed but never put into commercial use, was also badly damaged. The case has divided opinion among Ukraine's allies. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in August that those who built the pipeline should be "ashamed", not those who disabled it, a comment that reflected European disagreement over an act that hurt Russia's war-funding capacity but was carried out on NATO-allied territory.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 3 countries.
- n-tv: Prozess um Nord-Stream-Sprengung: Bundesanwaltschaft gewährte russisch kontrollierten Firmen Akteneinsicht
- Kyiv Post: Nord Stream Trial Resumes as Prosecutor Challenges Defense Bid to Halt Proceedings
- n-tv: Nach Bombenfund: Bahn zwischen Hamburg und Berlin rollt wieder
- Respublika: Hamburgo teismas nusprendė tęsti bylą dėl dujotiekių „Nord Stream“ sprogdinimo
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- Why did the Hamburg court reject the defence's request?
- Judges said Ukrainian military secrecy rules did not by themselves prevent Kuznetsov from getting a fair trial, and that he had not sought an exemption to disclose protected information.
- What is Kuznetsov accused of?
- Prosecutors say he helped organise the September 2022 operation that damaged three of the four Nord Stream pipeline strings; he denies involvement.
- Who gained access to the case files?
- Nord Stream 2 AG, owned by Russia's Gazprom, was reportedly given full access to the investigation files in spring 2026, months before the trial began.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.