Ukrainian ex-soldier Serhii Kuznetsov is set to face trial in Germany over alleged sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, with prosecutors accusing him of orchestrating a crime that disrupted critical energy infrastructure. The trial, beginning in October 2026, marks the first legal action taken since the 2022 attacks that severed key gas pipelines between Russia and Germany.
Kuznetsov, a former military officer, was arrested in August 2025 and extradited to Germany, where he is accused of leading a group that allegedly carried out the attacks from a yacht. German investigators claim the team of divers used the vessel to access the pipelines, though the Ukrainian government has denied any involvement in the sabotage. Another suspect, Volodymyr Zhuravliov, remains in custody in Croatia, awaiting extradition to Germany.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was never completed, had long been a point of contention in European energy policy, with critics arguing it increased Germany's reliance on Russian gas and weakened energy security. The sabotage of the 2022 pipelines has since become a flashpoint in discussions about energy infrastructure and geopolitical tensions in the region.
Lawyers for Kuznetsov argue that the targeted infrastructure may have been a lawful objective, though this defense has not been accepted by German prosecutors. The trial, expected to last until February 2027, will determine whether the accused will face charges for war crimes related to the attacks on civilian energy infrastructure.