Ukrainian authorities allegedly ordered Nord Stream sabotage
German prosecutors have accused a former Ukrainian soldier of destroying the Nord Stream pipelines on the orders of Ukrainian state officials.
Ukrainian authorities allegedly ordered Nord Stream sabotage
German investigators believe that the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022 was carried out on the orders of state officials in Ukraine. This was announced by the Federal Public Prosecutor on Wednesday.
A former Ukrainian soldier in his fifties was charged in Germany on this day. He is accused of attacking civilian energy infrastructure – a charge that is classified as a war crime under international criminal law, as reported among others by the German weekly newspaper Zeit.
In a detailed statement regarding the allegations, it is stated that the man and other persons involved acted "on the orders of state officials of Ukraine". The accused is said to have played a leading role in the sabotage. According to prosecutors, the group also included a captain, an explosives expert, and four deep-sea divers.
The prosecution alleges that the man, together with others, damaged both gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. The explosions in September 2022 caused massive leaks in the pipes that transported gas from Russia to Germany.
The Federal Public Prosecutor had already announced in June that an arrest warrant had been issued against the suspect. He is said to have been on a sailing boat near the explosion sites at the time of the incident.
Source: SVT Nyheter
Source: SVT Nyheter