The trial of a Ukrainian national accused by German prosecutors of organizing the 2022 explosions that damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines began on Wednesday at the Hamburg Higher Regional Court. The defendant, a 50-year-old former military officer identified under German privacy laws as Serhii K., faces charges related to his alleged role in the underwater sabotage.
Federal prosecutors allege that Serhii K. led a small group that carried out the operation on behalf of unidentified Ukrainian state entities. According to the indictment, the group used a sailboat hired in Rostock, Germany, to travel to the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm. There, they are accused of placing military-grade explosives on the pipelines, which run from Russia to Germany.
The defendant, who was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and extradited to Germany three months later, has denied any involvement in the incident. He is the only individual currently on trial in connection with the explosions. Prosecutors have stated that an attack on civilian infrastructure could be classified as a war crime.
The explosions occurred on Sept. 26, 2022, rupturing three of the four Nord Stream pipelines and causing significant leaks of methane gas into the Baltic Sea. Seismologists in Sweden and Denmark reported detecting underwater blasts at the time of the incident.
Prior to the explosions, the Nord Stream 1 pipeline had been a primary route for Russian natural gas to Germany, though Russia had reduced flows in the months leading up to the event. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline was constructed but had not received regulatory approval from Germany to begin operations.
The government of Ukraine has repeatedly denied any state involvement in the pipeline damage. Russian officials have also denied responsibility and have called for an investigation to identify the perpetrators.
Another individual, identified by prosecutors as Vladimir Z., was arrested in Croatia in August. Authorities have described him as a trained diver and a member of the team that allegedly placed the explosives. In September, a Croatian court approved his extradition to Germany.
The trial in Hamburg is scheduled to continue into February 2027 and is the first public proceeding presenting evidence gathered during the multi-year investigation into the pipeline sabotage.
