German Prosecutors Charge Ukrainian Citizen in Nord Stream Pipeline Attack

Berlin. German prosecutors have filed a lawsuit against a Ukrainian citizen on charges of destroying the Nord Stream gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea in 2022. The suspect, identified only as 'Serhiy K.' due to German privacy laws, is accused by German media of leading and coordinating the attack on the pipeline that transported natural gas from Russia to Germany. The suspect was reportedly arrested in Italy and extradited to Germany in November. He has denied any involvement in the incident. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, and Ukraine has also denied its involvement. However, the case is expected to have serious implications for relations between Ukraine and Germany. The Berlin-based law firm 'Menaker', representing the Ukrainian citizen, confirmed the indictment on Wednesday but did not disclose the details of the charges. Federal prosecutors also confirmed that one person has been charged in connection with the explosion. According to German public broadcaster DW, the suspect is accused of leading a team of seven accomplices in an operation to destroy three of the four Nord Stream gas pipelines. He is charged with attacking civilian energy infrastructure, causing explosions, and destroying property. The attack resulted in a record methane gas leak in the Baltic Sea and completely shut down the multi-billion dollar infrastructure. A month after the suspect's arrest, a second Ukrainian suspect was detained near Warsaw, Poland, based on another arrest warrant issued by Germany. Although the Nord Stream 2 pipeline never became operational, two pipelines of Nord Stream 1 had been continuously supplying gas from the Russian coast to northeastern Germany via 1,200 kilometers of the Baltic Sea. Germany had canceled the approval process for Nord Stream 2, which was wholly owned by the Russian gas company Gazprom, just a few months before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A few months later, Russia also shut down Nord Stream 1, citing technical problems. Then, a series of explosions on September 26, 2022, damaged three of the four pipelines. Who was behind this destructive act remained a mystery for a long time. Western countries suspected Russia, while Moscow blamed the United States and the United Kingdom. However, no country has yet been proven to be directly involved in this attack.