German Court Rejects Bid to End Trial of Ukrainian Officer Accused in Nord Stream Blasts

A German court has rejected a defense request to halt the trial of a former Ukrainian army officer accused of damaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The officer, identified as Serhii Kuznietsov, 50, faces charges including causing an explosion, property damage, and acting as an accomplice to war crimes by attacking civilian infrastructure.

The defense had argued that Kuznietsov, as an active duty soldier, was bound by Ukrainian national security laws preventing him from speaking, and that this inability to testify should prevent a conviction under German law. However, the Hamburg state court dismissed this motion, stating that the defendant's ability to present a defense is not limited under German law and that foreign service conditions do not restrict freedom to testify.

The Nord Stream pipelines, designed to transport Russian gas to Europe, were ruptured by undersea explosions on September 26, 2022. This incident occurred after Russia had significantly reduced gas supplies to Germany and months after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Nord Stream 1 was a primary gas supply route, while Nord Stream 2 never entered service due to Germany suspending its certification process.

Prosecutors allege that Kuznietsov orchestrated and executed the detonation of multiple bombs at a depth of approximately 70 to 80 meters near the Danish island of Bornholm. He was apprehended in Italy last year and subsequently extradited to Germany in November to face trial.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously denied any Ukrainian involvement in the pipeline explosions.