German prosecutors charge Ukrainian man with Nord Stream sabotage

German federal prosecutors have filed charges against a 50-year-old Ukrainian citizen, identified in court documents as Serhii K, for allegedly coordinating the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in September 2022. The indictment alleges that K acted as the on-board coordinator and team leader of a group that used a sailing yacht, the Andromeda, to place explosive devices near Denmark’s Bornholm Island, causing explosions that rendered the pipelines inoperable.

The suspect was previously arrested in Italy in August 2025, extradited to Germany in November, and was initially named as Serhii Kuznietsov. At the time, prosecutors said he had used forged identity documents to charter the yacht from Rostock. Kuznietsov has denied involvement, claiming he was serving in the Ukrainian armed forces at the time, a defense his lawyers say could provide functional immunity under international law.

"We have not officially received any details; at least I have not seen them," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Der Spiegel in Dublin, adding that it was too early to comment on the charges.

German authorities declined to provide further details on the indictment, and the lawyer representing the accused has not disclosed additional information. Ukraine’s government has previously denied any role in the pipeline sabotage.