The trial of Serhii Kuznietsov, a Ukrainian special forces officer accused in connection with the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, is due to begin in Hamburg on Wednesday 14 October 2026, the Guardian reports. The case concerns explosions that severely damaged underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea in September 2022. Kuznietsov denies involvement in the attacks.
According to the newspaper, the case will be heard at Hamburg’s Hanseatic Higher Regional Court. Sixteen hearing dates have been scheduled up to 17 December 2026. The report announces the planned opening of the trial, not a verdict: the defendant’s responsibility remains a matter for the court.
Prosecution allegations and denials
The Guardian reports that prosecutors accuse Kuznietsov of helping to prepare and carry out underwater detonations near the Danish island of Bornholm. The charges include complicity in war crimes through an attack on civilian infrastructure, causing explosions, damaging property and disrupting public services. These are prosecution allegations, not findings of guilt; Kuznietsov is presumed innocent.
The newspaper also reports that German prosecutors have accused Ukrainian state authorities of ordering the attack. Ukraine denies responsibility, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected claims of Ukrainian involvement. The charges do not establish either Kuznietsov’s role or the responsibility of the Ukrainian authorities.
According to the Guardian, Kuznietsov was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and extradited to Germany in November that year. He is now due to stand trial over events that took place more than four years ago.
The September 2022 explosions
The explosions occurred on 26 September 2022 and severely damaged the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. As the Guardian notes, Nord Stream 2 never entered operation: Germany suspended its approval process before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The planned trial therefore concerns the earlier attack, not a new incident in the Baltic Sea. Its opening is intended to begin the court’s examination of the allegations against Kuznietsov; it does not mean that his involvement in the sabotage has been proved.
