Ukrainian ex-officer stands trial in Germany over Nord Stream pipeline blasts

A former Ukrainian military officer has gone on trial in Germany, becoming the first person to face court over the 2022 explosions that ruptured the Nord Stream gas pipelines beneath the Baltic Sea. The Higher Regional Court opened the proceedings on Wednesday. The defendant is accused of helping to mastermind the attacks or leading an elaborate plot to blow up the undersea pipelines.

The South China Morning Post reports that the man is facing trial for war crimes, while his defense has called for the case to be dismissed. During the opening of the trial, a lawyer for the accused stated that Russia used the pipelines as a weapon to exert political and economic pressure, according to The Local Germany.

Brief written by urgent.news from RFI English, South China Morning Post, The Indian Express, The Local Germany, Sky News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.