German Prosecutors Charge Ukrainian National in Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage Case]
German federal prosecutors have filed charges against a 50-year-old Ukrainian national in connection with the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream underwater gas pipelines, according to court documents.
The suspect, identified only as Serhii K under German privacy protections, is accused of coordinating a team that used a sailing yacht to place explosive devices on both Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near Bornholm Island in September 2022. The explosions severely damaged the pipelines, cutting off key gas export routes from Russia to Europe for months following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Prosecutors allege that Serhii K served as the on-board coordinator and team leader during the operation, though he did not act as a diver or bomb expert. German public broadcaster ARD reported that K was detained in December 2025 as authorities prepared charges.
The suspect was previously arrested in August 2025 in Italy under the name Serhii Kuznietsov and subsequently extradited to Germany in November. At the time of his arrest, prosecutors stated that Kuznietsov had used forged identity documents to charter the yacht Andromeda from Rostock for the attack.
Kuznietsov has denied involvement in the sabotage, claiming he was serving in the Ukrainian armed forces at the time of the incident. His defense team argues this would grant him functional immunity under international law. The Berlin-based law firm Menaker, representing the accused, has not commenting on the specifics of the indictment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that his government had not yet received official details about the charges, telling reporters in Dublin that it was “too early to say yet.” Ukraine has consistently denied any involvement in the pipeline sabotage.
The case represents a significant development in one of the most closely watched investigations related to the Ukraine conflict, though the identity of those who ordered the attack remains unknown.
