Germany news: Nord Stream sabotage suspect's trial opens

On Wednesday, October 14, German political and legal news dominated headlines. Chancellor Merz's CDU and SPD coalition reached a compromise on a proposed tax increase for sugar, particularly affecting sugary drinks, set to take effect on July 1 of the following year, with an exception for small-scale producers. CDU Hesse premier Boris Rhein criticized the measure, stating it would result in higher consumer costs and deflect the financial burden onto citizens.

Meanwhile, the long-awaited trial of Serhii K., a former Ukrainian military officer, commenced in Hamburg. K. is accused of orchestrating a plot involving professional divers, an explosives expert, and a boat skipper to intentionally destroy the Nord Stream gas pipelines off the Danish coast by planting explosives. The explosions caused ruptures in Nord Stream 1, which had been shut down by Moscow a month before, and utterly destroyed Nord Stream 2, which was still in the works at the time of the attack.

The attack occurred seven months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, leading some investigators to speculate that Kyiv may have orchestrated the entire plan, given the pipelines' controversial role in delivering Russian gas to Europe. K. was arrested in Italy in 2025 and subsequently extradited to Germany. He faces charges including being an accomplice to a war crime by attacking civil energy infrastructure, disrupting public services, causing an explosion, and destroying structures.