First trial in Nord Stream pipeline case starts in Germany

On Wednesday, 14 October, the first trial concerning the September 2022 bombing of the Russian gas pipelines "Nord Stream" and "Nord Stream 2" in the Baltic Sea begins in Hamburg. Sergei Kuznetsov, a former officer of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces, whom German prosecutors consider one of the organizers of the sabotage, will stand trial.

This is reported by the German public broadcaster Tagesschau, citing the Higher Regional Court of Hamburg.

According to the court, the first hearing is scheduled for 11:00 local time. This is the first criminal trial regarding the pipeline bombings, starting almost four years after the explosions.

The German Federal Prosecutor's Office accuses the Ukrainian of committing a war crime through the use of prohibited methods of warfare against civilian objects. He is also charged with causing an explosion, destroying structures, and disrupting public infrastructure facilities.

According to the investigation, Kuznetsov led a group of seven people who organized the bombing of the underwater gas pipelines. In early September 2022, the group allegedly set off from the German Baltic Sea coast on a rented yacht named Andromeda.

Investigators believe that near the Danish island of Bornholm, divers installed explosive devices with timers on the pipelines at a depth of about 80 meters. As a result of the explosions on 26 September 2022, three of the four pipeline strings were severely damaged.

According to the German court's estimate, the material damage from the bombings amounts to hundreds of millions of euros.

"Nord Stream 1" was previously used to transport Russian gas to Germany, but supply had already been halted at the time of the explosions. The "Nord Stream 2" pipeline had been completed, but was never put into operation. Total investments in both projects were estimated at around 17 billion euros.

Kuznetsov was arrested in late August 2025 in Italy based on a European arrest warrant. After several months of legal proceedings, on 27 November he was extradited to Germany, where he has been in custody since.

The defense of the Ukrainian denies his involvement in the bombings. His lawyer, Nicola Canestrini, told German television channel ZDF that his client was in Ukraine at the time of the sabotage. Other defense representatives also questioned the sufficiency of the evidence gathered by the prosecution.

The same investigation involves other citizens of Ukraine. In particular, in August 2026, Vladimir Zhuravlev was re-arrested in Croatia; German investigators suspect him of direct involvement in planting the explosives. Previously, a Polish court had refused his extradition to Germany.

German prosecutors are also considering the possibility of involvement of Ukrainian state structures in organizing the sabotage. Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky previously denied any involvement of the Ukrainian authorities in the pipeline bombings. These claims remain under investigation, and the guilt of the accused must be established by the court.

The Hamburg court has currently scheduled 16 hearings until 17 December 2026. Additional hearings are planned for January and February 2027. According to court representatives, due to the complexity of the case and the international nature of the investigation, the proceedings may last much longer.

Based on materials from: Tagesschau, Higher Regional Court of Hamburg, ZDF