Germany accuses Ukrainian serviceman of Nord Stream sabotage
The German Federal Prosecutor's Office has officially charged Ukrainian serviceman Serhiy Kuznetsov with involvement in the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, stating that he acted on behalf of Ukrainian authorities.
Charges and the accused
On June 30, the German Federal Prosecutor's Office brought charges against Ukrainian citizen Serhiy Kuznetsov (referred to as Serhiy K.) for participation in the bombing of civilian infrastructure, classifying it as a war crime. The indictment emphasizes that Kuznetsov and other group members acted as Ukrainian military servicemen, not on private initiative.
Motive behind the sabotage
According to German prosecutors, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, Kuznetsov and other servicemen devised a plan to destroy the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines with the aim of permanently halting gas deliveries through these pipelines and preventing Russia from using gas sale revenues to finance the war.
Investigation and international context
Kuznetsov was arrested last summer while on vacation in Italy and later extradited to Germany. He is currently in custody in Hamburg. The Wall Street Journal reports that German investigators believe the group operated under the direction of then-Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied any Ukrainian involvement in the explosions.
