Germany Files First Prosecution in Nord Stream Attack Case

Four years after the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Germany's Federal Public Prosecutor has brought charges against Serhii K., a Ukrainian national suspected of leading the attack group. According to reports by German media outlets including ARD, K. made self-incriminating statements during monitored phone calls.

The sabotage operation occurred in September 2022, severely damaging the pipeline used to transport Russian natural gas to Germany. At the time of the incident, the pipeline was not in operation. Shortly before, Russia had ceased gas deliveries via Nord Stream 1 — likely as a response to Western sanctions imposed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Nord Stream 2 had never been put into service.

Shortly after the attack, in October 2022, Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor launched an investigation. In August 2025, Serhii K. was arrested while on vacation in Italy and subsequently extradited to Germany. He is currently held in pre-trial detention.

A ruling by Germany’s Federal Court in December of last year revealed that K. was an officer in a special forces unit of the Ukrainian military. He and six accomplices are alleged to have sailed a rented sailboat from Rugen Island in Germany, having leased it for several weeks. K.’s role was to coordinate the group’s operations. After multiple dives, they placed four high-energy explosives with massive destructive potential at depths of up to 80 meters underwater. On September 26, 2022, these explosives detonated. According to reports by German public broadcaster ARD and other media outlets on Wednesday, July 1, the explosives were homemade. The blast destroyed three out of the four pipelines comprising Nord Stream 1 and 2.

According to ARD, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and Die Zeit, during his extradition detention in Italy, K. reportedly discussed the attack with family and friends over phone calls, making statements that incriminate himself. Furthermore, according to sources within security circles, investigators found evidence linking K. to the attack on his mobile phone.

Zelenskyy: It’s Too Early to Comment Without Full Details

The December ruling by Germany’s Federal Court also indicated a high likelihood that this case was carried out under the framework of a foreign intelligence operation, possibly commissioned by a foreign entity. Ukrainian state agencies were reportedly implicated in responsibility for the attack.

German media, including ARD, reported that the mastermind behind the attack may have been Roman Tscherwinsky, a former Ukrainian intelligence official. He denies the allegations.

The Federal Public Prosecutor charges K. with attacking civilian energy infrastructure, causing explosive detonations, and destroying facilities. The Higher Regional Court of Hamburg will decide whether to accept the indictment and initiate trial proceedings.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has so far refrained from commenting on the case. During a press conference in Ireland on Wednesday evening, he stated that he does not yet know all the details. He emphasized that German and Ukrainian authorities are now in communication. “If we receive more information, we will certainly respond,” Zelenskyy said. “It is too early to comment at this stage.”

Source: DW, based on reports from AFP, ARD, and dpa

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1869624503789578/

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