Hamburg court to open Nord Stream sabotage trial on October 14

September 3, 2026 at 09:22 PM2 min

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The Hamburg Higher Regional Court will open the trial of former Ukrainian officer Sergey K. on October 14 over the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions. Initial hearings are scheduled through February 2027. The suspect was extradited from Italy in August 2025 and remains in custody.

Key Facts

The Hamburg Higher Regional Court admitted the Federal Prosecutor's indictment against Sergey K. on September 3.
The trial will begin on October 14, with initial hearings scheduled through February 2027.
Sergey K. was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and later extradited to Germany.
A second suspect, a Ukrainian diver, was detained in Croatia in mid-August.

The Indictment

The Federal Prosecutor's Office accuses Sergey K. of complicity in multiple crimes, including a war crime for attacking civilian objects. According to the indictment, the goal of the sabotage was to permanently stop gas supplies through the pipelines so Russia could not use revenues to finance the war in Ukraine. Sergey K. allegedly developed the plan to destroy the pipelines together with other military personnel on behalf of state structures. He is accused of leading a group of professional divers, a skipper, and an explosives specialist that installed the explosive devices.

The Explosions

Explosions damaged two pipelines in the Baltic Sea in September 2022, which were intended to deliver Russian gas to Germany. At the time of the explosions, Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 were not operational. Russia had already stopped gas supplies through Nord Stream shortly before, allegedly in response to Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. Nord Stream 2 was never put into operation.

Suspects and Custody

Sergey K. was arrested while on vacation in Italy in August 2025 and later extradited to Germany, where he was taken into custody. A second suspected participant, a Ukrainian diver, was detained in Croatia in mid-August and is in custody there. His extradition to Germany is being considered at the request of German authorities. German investigators suspect Ukraine was behind the sabotage, but Kyiv denies involvement. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Kyiv never officially participated in any operation related to the Nord Stream explosions.