Germany’s prosecution accuses Ukrainian authorities of organizing the Nord Stream sabotage

In a Hamburg court, Germany’s prosecution officially stated that the arrested Ukrainian Sergei Kuznetsov “had the authority and permission of the Ukrainian government” to blow up the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022.

This was reported by Reuters.

The trial of the 50-year-old Kuznetsov began on October 14 in Hamburg. He is officially charged with disrupting the operation of critical public infrastructure. According to the prosecution, he coordinated the group that carried out the explosions on the pipelines in September 2022.

Investigators consider Kuznetsov, a Ukrainian army officer, to be one of the main organizers of the sabotage. The prosecution is pushing to classify his actions as a war crime — since at the time of the bombing he was a serving military officer and, according to the prosecution, acted with the knowledge of the Ukrainian authorities.

The indictment states that Ukrainian state structures were behind the sabotage, though no specific agencies are named. The alleged mastermind of the entire operation is believed by investigators to be Roman Chervinsky, an employee of the Ukrainian special services.

Kuznetsov’s lawyers rejected the charges brought against him. The defense claims he had no involvement in the explosions and was on Ukrainian territory at the time of the sabotage.

The trial could last several months or even years, due to the large volume of materials and the international nature of the case. Hearings are scheduled through January 29, 2027, and are expected to take place on average twice a week.

Kuznetsov became the first defendant to stand trial in connection with the Nord Stream bombing. In total, German prosecutors have issued seven arrest warrants for alleged participants in the sabotage. Another suspect — Vladimir Zhuravlev — is awaiting a decision on extradition to Germany after being detained in Croatia in 2026.

President Vladimir Zelensky denies Ukraine’s involvement in the Nord Stream bombing.