Germany: Ukrainian authorities behind Nord Stream explosions

German prosecutors have officially stated that Ukrainian authorities were behind the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions in late September 2022. In a detailed statement outlining charges against one suspect, prosecutors said he and other Ukrainian military personnel acted on orders from Ukrainian state institutions.

The suspect, identified as Serhiy Kuznetsov, was arrested in Italy in summer 2025 and extradited to Germany in November of the following year. Prosecutors describe him as a Ukrainian army officer. Following Russia's renewed invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he and other military personnel devised a plan to destroy the pipelines to deprive Russia of gas export revenues.

According to the prosecution, Kuznetsov led a team consisting of several professional divers, a captain, and an explosives expert. Using forged identity documents, they chartered a yacht in the German Baltic Sea port of Rostock. The vessel was used to transport a large quantity of high-powered military explosives through international waters to an area near the Danish island of Bornholm. The explosives were attached to the pipelines with detonators, and explosions occurred four days later.

This conclusion creates an awkward situation for both Germany and Ukraine, as Germany has become Ukraine's main military supporter. Nord Stream 1 had previously been used to deliver Russian gas to Germany but was not operational at the time of the blast due to Russia's invasion. Nord Stream 2 had not yet been commissioned.