Ukrainian Ex-Soldier Faces Trial in Germany for Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage
German authorities allege a former special forces soldier, identified as Serhii K, led a crew that blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022, a charge Ukraine denies.
A former Ukrainian special forces soldier is set to stand trial in Hamburg, Germany, accused of orchestrating the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022. The man, identified by German authorities as Serhii K and during extradition proceedings as Serhii Kuznetsov or Serhii Kulinich, allegedly commanded a crew that planted explosives deep beneath the Baltic Sea, severing the vital energy conduits.
German prosecutors allege that K, acting on behalf of "state agencies of Ukraine," led a team including four deep-sea divers who used a rented yacht named Andromeda to carry out the attack. High-performance explosives, weighing up to 27kg each, were reportedly planted at approximately 80 meters (260ft) below the surface and activated with timers. The blasts targeted both Nord Stream 1, which supplied a significant portion of Germany's natural gas, and the unoperational Nord Stream 2, causing massive gas leaks into the sea.
K was arrested in Italy in August 2023 while on holiday with his family, following an investigation that German police describe as painstaking. Evidence, including DNA potentially left on the rented yacht, reportedly led investigators to Ukraine. Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, both the accused and Ukraine have denied any involvement in the explosions.
Tracing the Evidence
Initial reactions to the explosions in September 2022 often pointed towards Russia, given its history of using energy supplies for political leverage and reports of Russian naval activity near the blast sites. However, German police focused on forensic evidence, which investigators say eventually led them to Ukraine. K allegedly entered Germany using a forged passport, possibly issued by Ukrainian security services. After the operation, he is said to have traveled extensively, with his passport showing stamps from numerous countries, including France, Spain, and Canada, dated after the pipeline attacks.
K's arrest came after he crossed into Poland on August 13, 2025, where he was detected. The arrest warrant, however, was reportedly issued on August 18, after he had already left Poland. His eventual apprehension occurred late one night at a glamping resort near Italy's Adriatic coast, after his passport information triggered an automatic alert upon check-in.
Another suspect, Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, identified as a diver, is currently fighting extradition from Croatia. Zhuravlyov, who was reportedly working as a consultant on a film about the Nord Stream blasts, denies any real-life involvement. A Polish judge previously refused to extradite him, suggesting that a hypothetical Ukrainian attack on the pipelines, if proven, could be considered a "just" act in the context of the ongoing war.
Political and Legal Ramifications
The Nord Stream sabotage has significant political implications, particularly for Germany and Ukraine. Germany, now a major military supplier to Ukraine, faces scrutiny from domestic parties like the far-right AfD, which use the case to question continued support for Kyiv. The incident also raises complex questions about the definition of legitimate military targets outside active war zones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently denied his country's involvement. A spokesperson for Ukraine's foreign ministry recently stated that the focus should be on the construction of the pipelines, arguing they enabled Russia's aggression by freeing it from relying on Ukrainian transit routes. "Did we warn about this? We did. Did anyone listen to us? No, no-one did," the spokesperson asserted.
K is the first suspect to face trial. His legal team intends to argue that he is not authorized to disclose details of his military activities and will present sworn statements from superiors to support this position. Sources close to K describe him as a patriot who served in the Ukrainian military even after Russia's full-scale invasion. His military ID indicates he was still on active service at the time of the pipeline explosions, suggesting knowledge of his whereabouts and actions within the Ukrainian military command.