Kuznetsov, 50, was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and is the only defendant in custody, with prosecutors saying they have identified seven suspects and alleging in the indictment that Ukrainian state bodies knew of the operation, a claim President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied. His defense argues the pipelines, which funded Russia’s war, were a legitimate military target and has asked the court to dismiss the case. Hearings are scheduled through January with a verdict expected next year, and the Kremlin said it expects the trial to name who ordered the attack.
Nord Stream sabotage trial opens in Hamburg court
The trial of Serhii Kuznetsov, a former Ukrainian army officer accused of coordinating the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, opened on Wednesday at Hamburg's higher regional court, where German federal prosecutors are treating the attack as a war crime against civilian energy infrastructure.
Why it matters: It is the first court test of who ordered the pipeline attack, and any finding of Ukrainian state involvement would strain Kyiv's relations with the European governments bankrolling its war effort.
Data as of Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Yonhap report (in Korean, citing NDR and court proceedings, opened and read in full) and RIA Novosti report of the prosecutor's statement (in Russian). The prosecution and defense accounts are allegations before the court, not findings. Developing item, 2 to 3 sentences by design.
Sources
- Nord Stream explosion first trial: former Ukrainian officer in court · Yonhap News Agency · 2026-10-14
- Nord Stream pipelines were not a legitimate military target, German federal prosecutor says · RIA Novosti · 2026-10-14