German Prosecutors Allege Ukraine Masterminded Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage

German prosecutors alleged on Thursday that Ukrainian authorities were behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines connecting Russia to Europe in 2022. In a statement detailing charges against suspect Serhii K. on Wednesday, prosecutors said he and six accomplices acted “on the orders of Ukrainian authorities.” According to prosecutors, the accused, now 50, was an “officer in the Ukrainian military” at the time of the operation, and his associates were also “military personnel.” Prosecutors stated the plan aimed to “destroy the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines” with the goal of “permanently stopping gas supplies through the pipelines and preventing Russia from using natural gas trade revenues to finance its war operations.” Germany is one of Ukraine’s largest military supporters in its ongoing fight against the Russian invasion, making the incident a potentially awkward diplomatic situation. Detailing the alleged operation, prosecutors said Serhii and his team travelled from Ukraine to Germany using forged Ukrainian passports. They then chartered a yacht named Andromeda from a German company in the northern city of Rostock. Investigators reportedly found traces of the military explosives HMX and RDX aboard the Andromeda. The explosives were attached with timers to the underwater pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm on 22 September 2022. The explosives detonated four days later on 26 September, causing severe damage even though the pipelines were not operational at the time. “Before the incident, around half of Germany’s annual natural gas supply was transported via Nord Stream 1,” prosecutors said. On Wednesday, German media reported that suspect Serhii had been charged as an accessory to a war crime, disrupting public services, causing explosions, and damaging infrastructure. The charges follow K’s extradition to Germany from Italy, where he was arrested on a German warrant in August 2025. K denies involvement, and his lawyer told Reuters he believes his client will be acquitted.