German federal prosecutors have charged a former Ukrainian army officer, identified as Serhii K. or Serhiy Kuznietsov, with co-perpetrating a war crime tied to the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions near Denmark’s Bornholm island [1, 2, 3, 4]. The charges accuse him of acting on behalf of Ukrainian state authorities to sabotage the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in September 2022 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Prosecutors said the objective was to permanently halt gas deliveries through the pipelines and prevent Russia from funding its war effort via natural gas revenues [1, 2, 3, 4].

At the time of the sabotage, Russia had stopped supplies on Nord Stream 1, citing sanctions and technical issues, while European nations accused Moscow of weaponizing energy exports [1, 2, 3]. The suspect reportedly led a team including professional divers, a skipper, and an explosives expert who used forged documents to enter Germany and rent a yacht near the Baltic Sea [1, 2, 3, 4]. This team transported military-grade explosives through international waters to the Baltic seafloor close to Bornholm, attached them to the pipelines, and set time fuses [3, 4].

The explosions on September 26, 2022, damaged three of the four Nord Stream pipelines, compromising a key Russian gas export route to Europe [1, 2, 3, 5, 4]. Germany and Russia had signed the original Nord Stream 1 agreement in 2005, leading to pipeline operations starting in 2011-2012; the pipeline stretches 1,224 kilometers and cost an estimated 7.4 billion euros to build [5].

The accused was arrested in Italy in August 2023 and extradited to Germany in November 2023 [2, 3, 4]. He denies involvement in the attack [3]. Ukrainian authorities said they do not have enough information to respond in detail. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in early July 2026, "The relevant authorities of our countries will get in touch, and when we receive more details, we will probably be able to respond. For now, it is too early to speak" [1, 2, 3].

There is some uncertainty about the suspect’s full identity. Some sources name Serhiy Kuznietsov, while others report a separate Ukrainian suspect, Volodymyr Z., wanted by European prosecutors but who escaped arrest due to administrative failures [1, 2, 3, 5, 4]. Meanwhile, unproven claims have surfaced, such as a 2023 allegation by journalist Seymour Hersh that the U.S. and Norway were involved, which lacks evidence [5].

Germany is Ukraine’s largest military backer, and these charges risk complicating their close ties [2, 4]. Under German law, the suspect faces a minimum prison sentence of three years for directing an attack on a civilian site [3].

The German prosecutors officially filed the charges against the suspect on July 2, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4].