German prosecutors said on Thursday that Ukrainian state officials were behind the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia to Europe.
In a statement detailing the charges brought against suspect Serhiy Kay on Wednesday, prosecutors said he and six accomplices had acted “on the orders of state authorities in Ukraine.”
According to prosecutors, K., now 50, was “an officer in the Ukrainian army” at the time of the operation, and his companions were also “military personnel.”
He said the plan was to “destroy the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines”, with the aim of “permanently halting the supply of gas through the pipelines and preventing Russia from using revenues from natural gas trading to finance its war efforts.”
Germany is one of Ukraine’s largest military supporters in the fight against the ongoing Russian aggression, making the incident potentially diplomatically awkward.
Nord Stream sabotage: how the operation happened
Detailing how the operation allegedly took place, prosecutors said that K. And his team traveled from Ukraine to Germany on fake Ukrainian passports and chartered a yacht. AndromedaFrom a German company in the northern city of Rostock.
Investigators reportedly found traces of military explosives HMX and RDX on board the ship Andromeda Those were connected to underwater pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm with a timer until September 22, 2022.
The explosives were detonated four days later on 26 September, causing considerable damage, although the pipelines were not operational at the time.
“Before the incident, approximately half of Germany’s annual supply of natural gas was transported through Nord Stream 1,” prosecutors said.
Nord Stream suspect denies allegations
On Wednesday, German media reported that K. Was accused of complicity in war crimes, disrupting public services, causing explosions and destroying structures.
These allegations. Following his extradition from Italy to Germany, he was arrested on a German arrest warrant in August 2025.
Kay has denied involvement and his lawyer told Reuters news agency that he was confident his client would be acquitted.
Edited by: Carl Sexton
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