Key facts
- German prosecutors have charged a Ukrainian national, Serhii K., in connection with the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.
- The suspect is accused of leading a team of six accomplices and acting on orders from Ukrainian state authorities.
- The alleged motive was to stop Russian gas supplies and revenue that could fund the war.
- Explosives were reportedly found on a yacht used in the operation.
- Serhii K. denies the charges, and Ukraine has denied state involvement.
German prosecutors have filed charges against a Ukrainian national, identified as Serhii K., over the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Prosecutors allege that K., described as an officer in the Ukrainian army at the time, and six accomplices acted on the orders of state authorities in Ukraine to destroy three of the four pipelines. The objective was to permanently halt gas supplies and prevent Russia from using the revenue to finance its war efforts.
K. was arrested in Italy on a German arrest warrant and extradited to Germany. Investigators reportedly discovered traces of military explosives on a yacht, the 'Andromeda,' which was hired from a German company in Rostock and allegedly used to plant the explosives near the Danish island of Bornholm. The explosions occurred on September 26, 2022, causing significant damage to the infrastructure, which was not operational at the time.
Serhii K. denies all charges, and his lawyer has expressed confidence in his acquittal. A second Ukrainian suspect detained in Poland was later released after a judge refused extradition. Ukraine has stated it lacks sufficient information to respond in detail to the German prosecutors' allegations. The incident is potentially diplomatically awkward for Germany, a major military backer of Ukraine, which previously relied on Russian gas.