1 week ago
The trial of Sergey Kuznetsov, a Ukrainian military veteran accused of leading the September 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, opened under heavy security at the Higher Regional Court of Hamburg in Germany. Wednesday's hearing was the first of 24 sessions scheduled between now and February. German prosecutors are attempting to prove that Kuznetsov directed the underwater operation that destroyed Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, an act they argue constitutes a war crime.
Prosecutors allege that Kuznetsov entered Germany in September 2022 using a forged Ukrainian passport, rented a pleasure yacht with six accomplices, and planted explosives on one of the four undersea lines comprising the Nord Stream project while his team sabotaged the remaining three, acting "on behalf of Ukrainian state authorities." Media reports have circulated various claims regarding whether the CIA approved the operation or whether Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky personally ordered it, though Kuznetsov's alleged involvement has remained consistent. American journalist Seymour Hersh has disputed the German prosecution's account, arguing that saboteurs could not have transported necessary deep-sea diving gear and explosives aboard a 15-meter yacht without detection during concurrent NATO military exercises in the Baltic Sea. Citing intelligence sources, Hersh asserts that the CIA, in cooperation with the Norwegian Navy, carried out the attack using the exercises as cover to place remotely-detonated devices.
Suspects and Indictment Evidence
Kuznetsov is the only individual among the seven alleged saboteurs currently on trial. Another suspect, identified as "Vladimir Z," was detained in Croatia in August and is contesting extradition to Germany. According to German media reports, four other Ukrainian suspects—a yacht skipper and three civilian divers—remain at large, while a military explosives expert who allegedly participated in the operation was killed in Ukraine in 2024.
While prosecutors presented no evidence at Wednesday's opening hearing, details from the 136-page indictment published by German broadcasters ARD and NDR outline the primary elements of the prosecution's case. Prosecutors intend to focus on a phone call Kuznetsov made to his wife while in Italian custody last year, during which he defended the bombing as "an official military operation." The prosecution also relies on tourist and speed-camera photographs placing Kuznetsov in Germany at the time of the alleged operation, traces of RDX and HMX military explosives found on the yacht "Andromeda," and phone records showing internet searches for Baltic Sea depths and technical data on the Nord Stream lines.
Defense Strategy and Legal Arguments
Kuznetsov remained completely silent during Wednesday's proceedings and intends to maintain silence throughout the trial. His legal team explained that because Kuznetsov was a military officer at the time of the attack, he cannot testify without disclosing state secrets. Defense attorney Jes Meyer-Lohkamp told
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