Ukrainian ex-officer stands trial in Germany over Nord Stream bombing

A Ukrainian ex-military officer, known as Serhii K., faces trial in Germany, suspected of orchestrating the bombing of the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022. This significant infrastructure sabotage severed Western Europe's connection to Russia's primary source of natural gas. The trial, set to commence on Wednesday, will mark the first public hearing of evidence from a years-long investigation, creating diplomatic and political challenges for Germany, which continues to provide substantial military aid to Ukraine.

Serhii K. is accused of leading a team of Ukrainian agents, including divers and an explosives expert, to carry out the operation on behalf of unidentified Ukrainian state entities. He vehemently denies any involvement in the blasts that damaged the 1,200km-long Baltic Sea pipeline. Kyiv's government also denies any involvement, a sensitive issue in relations with Germany, Ukraine's major European military aid provider.

The Russian government anticipates a "just verdict" revealing the perpetrators and their orders. Prosecutors claim Serhii K. worked with other military personnel to plan the clandestine operation. German prosecutors assert that his alleged actions—targeting civilians and destroying infrastructure—qualify as a war crime. The explosion severed Germany's dependence on Russian natural gas, but Russia had already reduced supplies due to Berlin's support for European sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The trial, expected to last into February, may also have domestic political consequences. Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), currently leading in opinion polls, has called for an end to military aid to Ukraine and the restoration of energy ties with Moscow. Initially, western officials primarily blamed Russia, which has consistently denied any involvement.

The Nord Stream system, located 80 to 110 meters under the Baltic Sea and built by Russian corporation Gazprom, was central to economic ties between the two nations. On September 26, 2022, several blasts were detected over 17 hours by Swedish seismologists, causing three of the four concrete-coated steel pipelines to rupture. Prosecutors allege that Serhii K. traveled to Germany via Poland using a forged Ukrainian passport, and that he and his group used a rented yacht to reach the area near Denmark's Bornholm Island, where they installed specialized military-grade explosives fitted with timers on the sea floor.