Former Ukrainian officer goes on trial over sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines
A former Ukrainian army officer goes on trial in Germany on Wednesday over undersea explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany four years ago in what is considered one of Europe’s biggest acts of sabotage since World War II.The suspect faces charges of causing an explosion, damaging property, disrupting public service and being an “accomplice to war crimes” by attacking civilian infrastructure, according to prosecutors.According to German privacy rules, the suspect will be identified in court only as Serhii K., although he was publicly named as Serhii Kuznietsov in extradition proceedings in Italy.While international observers initially blamed Moscow, investigators have increasingly examined suggestions that Ukrainian state security agencies may have been involved — even though Ukraine counts Germany as one of its closest allies.The trial of the suspect, who is believed to be the alleged ringleader of the attack, is being held under strict security measures at the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg.According to the charges, the defendant was allegedly involved in causing the Sept.26, 2022, explosions that damaged pipelines built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea.At the time, European countries were moving to wean themselves off Russian energy sources, following the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.Prosecutors say the aim of the plot was to permanently disrupt gas deliveries and prevent Russia from using the revenues to finance its military operations.The defendant and others allegedly used a yacht that departed from the German port of Rostock.
It had been rented from a German company using forged IDs and with the help of intermediaries.The explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which was Russia’s main natural gas supply route to Germany until Moscow cut off supplies in August 2022.They also damaged Nord Stream 2, which never entered servic...