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Hamburg hears the Nord Stream sabotage charge

The court has not found that he committed those acts.

Helena Ward · Published · Updated Secondary source: The Guardian · 2 more · Explore evidence and context

On 14 October 2026 a court in Hamburg opened the trial of a former Ukrainian soldier accused of taking part in the 2022 attack on the Nord Stream pipelines. The court has not found that he committed those acts.

The Guardian says prosecutors accuse Serhii Kuznetsov, a former Ukrainian special forces officer, of being an accomplice to war crimes by attacking civilian infrastructure, causing an explosion, damaging property, and disrupting public services. The Guardian says he appeared in court and that the federal prosecutor general read the indictment, which was translated into Ukrainian. The Guardian says he was arrested in August 2025 in Italy during a family holiday and that Italian police reported he surrendered.

Deutsche Welle spells the name Serhii Kuznietsov. It says his lawyers asked the court to dismiss the case, and that after the charges were read the judge asked whether he wanted to comment. He said that he did not. Deutsche Welle says defense attorney Jes Meyer-Lohkamp told the court that two immediate superiors had said he was not permitted to make any statement, including to his lawyers. Deutsche Welle says hearing dates are scheduled through February of next year and that the schedule can change.

Tagesschau says the trial of the accused Ukrainian began in Hamburg that day, about four years after the attacks. Its account does not give a spelling of his name.

The Guardian uses Serhii Kuznetsov. Deutsche Welle uses Serhii Kuznietsov. That spelling difference sits in the two reports.