In brief
In Hamburg, Serhii Kuznetsov – a former Ukrainian army officer – is on trial for orchestrating the 2022 sabotage of three Nord Stream gas lines. German prosecutors claim he led a team of divers and explosives experts, while his defence argues the evidence is purely circumstantial. The case disputes Ukraine’s official denial of involvement and highlights tension between Kyiv and Berlin over war‑crime jurisdiction. A second suspect in Croatia faces extradition, adding complexity to the saga. The trial underscores how a single covert act continues to reverberate across European legal and diplomatic arenas.
Ukrainian ex‑soldier Serhii Kuznetsov faced a German war‑crime trial on Wednesday, accused of orchestrating the 2022 explosion that ruptured three of the four Nord Stream under‑sea gas pipelines that feed Germany.
Prosecutors say Kuznetsov, then a Ukrainian army officer, led a crew of professional divers, a boat captain and an explosives expert in a covert operation that severed the columns off the Danish island of Bornholm. He allegedly ordered the detonation from a remote location, an act the court brands an attack on civilian infrastructure.
Kuznetsov’s defence team protested that the evidence is solely circumstantial – no witnesses, DNA, or forensic traces – and that the extradition from Italy was flawed because the war‑crime allegation was not brought up in the initial request. They also contend that the defendant’s service as a soldier placed him under secrecy obligations, compromising a fair trial.
The proceedings come less than a year after Germany ruled that the sabotage fell within its territorial jurisdiction. Berlin’s decision, backed by an appeal by the Federal Court of Justice, struck a balance between national security concerns and the legal rights of a foreign suspect.
In parallel, another Ukrainian, Volodymyr Zhuravlov, secured a Polish court ruling that the attack was “justified” if an armed mission was indeed organized by Ukraine. However, he remains in custody in Croatia, where a request to extradite him to Germany is pending.
The trial highlights divisions within Ukraine’s parliament, with some members blaming Russia for the ruptures while others view the incident as a tool employed by Moscow. German sources, however, hold that Kyiv orchestrated the act through state agencies, a claim the Ukrainian government denies.
Images: Hermann police escorting Kuznetsov to helicopter after his extradition from Italy, and the photo of him in court, relaxed and smiling during preliminary proceedings.
