Ukrainian Ex-Officer of Leading 2022 Pipeline Attack
Germany Files First Criminal Charges in Nord Stream Sabotage Case, Accuses Ukrainian Ex-Officer of Leading 2022 Pipeline Attack
BERLIN, July 2 — German federal prosecutors have filed the first criminal charges in the investigation into the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, accusing a former Ukrainian military officer, identified under German privacy laws as Serhii K. (also reported as Serhii Kuznetsov), of leading the operation that destroyed key sections of the undersea energy infrastructure.
According to the indictment, the suspect allegedly coordinated a team of professional divers, a skipper and an explosives expert who traveled to Germany using forged documents before chartering the sailing yacht Andromeda. Prosecutors say the group transported military-grade explosives into the Baltic Sea and planted charges on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022.
The charges include complicity in a war crime, causing explosions, destruction of critical infrastructure and disruption of public services. German prosecutors argue the pipelines constituted protected civilian infrastructure under international law and allege the operation was carried out on behalf of Ukrainian state entities with the objective of permanently halting Russian gas deliveries to Europe and cutting off Moscow’s energy revenues.
The accused was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and extradited to Germany later that year. He remains in custody and has denied all allegations. A trial is expected to take place in Hamburg later this year.
The September 2022 explosions destroyed three of the four Nord Stream pipelines, crippling a major energy route between Russia and Germany and intensifying Europe’s energy crisis. The incident sparked years of international speculation over responsibility before German investigators identified the current suspect.
German authorities say the investigation remains ongoing and have indicated that additional suspects may also face prosecution. Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have denied government involvement and said they are awaiting further details regarding the charges.