German prosecutors accuse Ukraine of organizing Nord Stream sabotage
Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office has stated that the sabotage of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea was carried out on the orders of Ukrainian state authorities. Charges have been filed against Ukrainian citizen Serhiy K., who was an officer in the Ukrainian army at the time.
Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office announced on Thursday that the sabotage of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea in September 2022 was planned and executed on the orders of Ukrainian state authorities. This conclusion is included in an indictment sent to the Higher Regional Court of Hamburg.
The charges have been brought against Ukrainian citizen Serhiy K., who, according to investigators, was an officer in the Ukrainian army in 2022. Together with other military personnel, he allegedly devised a plan to destroy the pipelines after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The operation aimed to permanently halt Russian gas supplies via the Nord Stream routes and deprive Russia of revenues that could be used to fund the war.
According to the investigation, a group was formed for the task, consisting of professional divers, a yacht captain, and an explosives expert, led by the accused. In September 2022, Serhiy K. entered Germany using a forged Ukrainian passport. The group then transported explosives from Rostock aboard a rented sailing yacht to the area near the Danish island of Bornholm.
By September 22, the group is believed to have attached explosive devices with timers to the pipelines. They detonated on September 26, 2022, causing severe damage to both pipeline strands.
Serhiy K. is charged with a war crime—attack on civilian objects, organizing an explosion, destruction of structures, and disruption of public utilities. He was arrested in Italy in August 2025 under a European arrest warrant and extradited to Germany in November 2025.
The Higher Regional Court of Hamburg will now decide whether to open a trial. The indictment does not imply guilt, and the prosecution's version of events will be examined during court proceedings.
As previously reported, the explosions on the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines on September 26, 2022, caused widespread international shock. Several underwater blasts near Bornholm destroyed the pipes, and leaks were later detected on three of the four pipeline lines, making gas transportation impossible.
