The Nord Stream trial opened at the Hamburg Higher Regional Court on Wednesday, with a former Ukrainian military officer accused of helping plan the 2022 sabotage of the gas pipelines.
Nord Stream trial: the allegations
The defendant, identified under German privacy rules only as Serhii K., is 50 years old. Prosecutors say he worked with other military members to plan the attack on behalf of unidentified Ukrainian state entities, led a group of agents including divers and an explosives expert, and travelled to Germany on a forged Ukrainian passport about three weeks before the blasts.
Prosecutors say that attacking civilian targets and destroying infrastructure in this way would amount to a war crime. He denies any involvement and is the only person on trial.
Diplomatic strain
Ukraine’s government denies involvement in the sabotage. The case has strained ties between Berlin and Kyiv, even though Germany remains one of Ukraine’s strongest backers. The trial is expected to run into February 2027.
