The German Federal Prosecutor's Office has officially charged Ukrainian citizen Serhiy K. in connection with the explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea in 2022. This was reported by Deutsche Welle.
In accordance with German law, the defendant's full surname has not been disclosed. His lawyers have confirmed receipt of the indictment but have refrained from commenting on its contents.
According to German media reports, Serhiy K. is accused of organizing sabotage against civilian energy infrastructure, carrying out explosions, and destroying strategically important facilities.
According to the investigation, in September 2022, he coordinated the actions of a group that installed explosive devices on the Nord Stream gas pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm. The group is said to have used a sailing yacht named "Andromeda" during the operation.
Investigators believe the group consisted of one coordinator, a captain, four deep-sea divers, and an explosives expert. The Prosecutor's Office views Serhiy K. as the leader and main coordinator of this operation.
The defendant, however, denies the charges brought against him, stating he has no connection to the Nord Stream explosions.
It is worth recalling that the explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines occurred several months after Russia launched its large-scale war against Ukraine. The incident disabled one of the main routes for delivering Russian gas to Europe, exacerbating the energy crisis, particularly in Germany.
According to the investigation materials, Serhiy K. was an officer of the Ukrainian special forces at the time of the incident. He was apprehended in Italy in August of last year and extradited to Germany in November of this year.
