Germany puts Ukrainian on trial accused of blowing up Nord Stream pipelines

The trial of Serhii Kuznetsov, a 50-year-old former Ukrainian army officer, began in Hamburg, Germany, on October 14, 2026. He is accused of leading a team of saboteurs who used a yacht called the Andromeda to bomb the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022. German prosecutors have charged him with war crimes for attacking civilian infrastructure, alleging the plot was conceived by Ukrainian state agencies to disrupt Russian gas revenues. While the defense argues the evidence is circumstantial, the trial highlights a sensitive diplomatic situation between Germany and Ukraine, both of whom have been close allies since the 2022 Russian invasion.

The trial of Serhii Kuznetsov, a 50-year-old former Ukrainian army officer, began in Hamburg, Germany, on October 14, 2026. He is accused of leading a team of saboteurs who used a yacht called the Andromeda to bomb the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022. German prosecutors have charged him with war crimes for attacking civilian infrastructure, alleging the plot was conceived by Ukrainian state agencies to disrupt Russian gas revenues. While the defense argues the evidence is circumstantial, the trial highlights a sensitive diplomatic situation between Germany and Ukraine, both of whom have been close allies since the 2022 Russian invasion.