Germany accuses Ukraine of ordering sabotage against Nord Stream gas pipelines

At the end of September 2022, Danish and Swedish authorities detected gas leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp
German federal prosecutors said they believe that a Ukrainian citizen accused of being linked to the explosions of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines "acted at the behest of Ukrainian state authorities" to destroy the structures.
The suspect was formally charged by German courts with complicity in a war crime, interruption of public services, provocation of an explosion and destruction of infrastructure.
According to prosecutors, the aim of the attacks was to permanently interrupt the supply of gas through pipelines and prevent Russia from using revenue from the natural gas trade to finance its war efforts.
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There were already suspicions of sabotage, but this Thursday's accusation was the 1st involving Ukrainian state authorities. Volodymyr Zelensky's government had not commented on the German MP's accusation until the last update of this report.
The Nord Stream gas pipelines, built under the Baltic Sea, connect Russia to Germany and the Russian gas that arrived was then distributed to other countries in Europe. The attack, in September 2022, disrupted the main flow of the product towards the European continent and marked a transformation in consumption by EU countries.
The Ukrainian, identified only as Serhii K, led a team of professional divers and an explosives expert, entered Germany with a forged Ukrainian passport in September 2022 and boarded a rented yacht with false identity documents, said the German MP.
The Ukrainian and His accomplices then transported large quantities of high-performance explosives, suitable for military use, across international waters to a location near the Danish island of Bornholm, where they attached them to underwater gas pipelines, according to the statement.
File image shows Nord Stream gas pipes in Lubmin, Germany
Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters
Serhii K was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and transferred to Germany in November. He denies involvement in the explosions.
German courts considered the case under the country's jurisdiction because the damaged gas pipelines end in Lubmin, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and their destruction affected Germany's energy security and internal security.
Map shows the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea
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Source: G1