Prosecutors: Ukrainian authorities ordered Nord Stream sabotage – trial in autumn in Germany
According to German prosecutors, Ukrainian state authorities ordered the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022. Charges have been brought against a Ukrainian man, with the trial expected to begin in autumn.
Prosecutors: Ukrainian authorities ordered Nord Stream sabotage – trial in autumn in Germany
German prosecutors released a statement on Thursday with details of the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions. In their view, Ukrainian state authorities ordered the sabotage.
On Wednesday, prosecutors had already confirmed that charges were brought in Germany against a person in connection with the explosion of the Baltic Sea pipelines. The defendant is a Ukrainian who is accused of attacking civilian energy infrastructure.
According to the prosecutors' statement, the man and his accomplice, both serving in the Ukrainian army, acted on the orders of Ukrainian authorities. The defendant is accused of leading a sabotage group that included professional drivers, a captain and explosives experts.
The explosions, which damaged three of four pipelines, occurred in September 2022 in the waters of the Danish and Swedish economic zones. The Nord Stream pipelines transport gas from Russia to Europe.
According to the prosecutors, the group chartered a yacht at the Baltic Sea port of Rostock in Germany using forged documents. They transported large quantities of military-grade explosives in the vessel through international waters to the vicinity of the Danish island of Bornholm. They then attached explosives and a time-delay fuse to the pipes. The explosion was triggered four days later.
According to the statement issued on Thursday, the defendant and other Ukrainian soldiers planned the attack to prevent Russia from generating gas revenues for its war budget.
The Ukrainian was arrested in August 2025 in Rimini, Italy. He was extradited from Italy to Germany in November and placed in pre-trial detention there, suspected of leading the operation. Since then, he has been held in pre-trial detention in Hamburg. The trial is expected to begin in autumn.
According to the German newspaper Die Zeit, the suspect formerly worked for the Ukrainian security service SBU. At the time of the pipeline explosions, he was a soldier in the Ukrainian armed forces, according to the newspaper.
Last year, another Ukrainian was also arrested in Poland who was suspected of involvement in the Nord Stream sabotage. A Polish court rejected the German extradition request in autumn.
Source: Hämeen Sanomat