Germany indicts Ukrainian national over Nord Stream pipeline blasts

German prosecutors have charged a Ukrainian national, Serhii Kuznietsov, with war crimes and other offenses related to the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The indictment alleges that Kuznietsov, a former Ukrainian army officer, and other military personnel acting on behalf of Ukrainian state bodies devised a plan to destroy the pipelines to halt Russian gas revenues and prevent Moscow from financing its war.

Prosecutors accuse Kuznietsov of complicity in a war crime, causing an explosion, destroying structures, and disrupting public utilities. Investigators believe he commanded the sailing yacht 'Andromeda,' from which the operation was allegedly launched. According to the indictment, he entered Germany in September 2022 using a forged Ukrainian passport and transported military-grade explosives by yacht near the Danish island of Bornholm.

The suspect was arrested in Italy in August 2025, extradited to Germany three months later, and has remained in pretrial detention. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied his government's involvement in the sabotage. The Nord Stream 1 pipeline was a vital route for Russian gas exports to Europe, and its destruction impacted Germany's energy security.