A Ukrainian man, identified as Serhii K, goes on trial in Hamburg on Wednesday, accused of blowing up Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines to Germany. This trial comes four years after one of the most dramatic acts of sabotage in modern European history, with Serhii K allegedly plotting with other Ukrainian military personnel to destroy the pipelines to hinder Russia's war financing through gas revenue.
Background of the Case
The case is particularly sensitive in Germany, which has been one of Ukraine's closest allies since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, just seven months before the attacks occurred. Serhii K, who was extradited to Germany from Italy late last year, is the first suspect to face trial for the blasts. He denies the charges, as does a second suspect, Volodymyr Zhuravlov, who is currently fighting extradition from Croatia.
On September 26, 2022, three of the four gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea off the island of Bornholm were destroyed by explosives. Following the incident, Western suspicion initially pointed towards Moscow, although no direct blame was assigned. Prior to the attack, Russia had already cut off gas flow to Germany via Nord Stream 1, and Nord Stream 2 had never been activated.
Investigative Developments
Investigators from Sweden, Denmark, and Germany sought to determine who was responsible for the attack. During this time, Vladimir Putin accused the US and its UK allies, blaming "the Anglo-Saxons," a claim they denied. Eventually, German prosecutors focused on a group of deep-sea divers who had rented a yacht named Andromeda in the northern German port of Rostock. They later reported that "traces of subsea explosives were found in the samples taken from the boat."
