German federal prosecutors have formally charged a Ukrainian national, identified as Serhii K., with involvement in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. In a statement released Thursday, prosecutors alleged that the suspect acted on orders from state authorities in Ukraine.

According to the indictment, Serhii K., a 50-year-old officer in the Ukrainian army at the time, and six accomplices, also military personnel, planned and executed the destruction of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. The stated goal was to permanently halt gas supplies and prevent Russia from using revenue from natural gas trade to finance its war efforts.

The operation allegedly involved the group traveling from Ukraine to Germany using fake Ukrainian passports, chartering a yacht named Andromeda from a company in Rostock, and attaching explosives to the underwater pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm. The charges, filed Wednesday, include being an accomplice to a war crime, disruption of public services, causing an explosion, and destroying structures.

Germany, one of Ukraine's largest military backers, now faces potential diplomatic awkwardness as the case unfolds. Serhii K. was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and extradited to Germany. He has denied involvement, and his lawyer expressed confidence in an acquittal. The pipelines were not in operation at the time of the explosion but had previously supplied about half of Germany's annual natural gas.

Source: www.dw.com