Alemania acusa a un ucranio del ataque contra el gasoducto Nord Stream, el sabotaje más espectacular desde el fin de la Guerra Fría

Germany has formally charged a Ukrainian citizen with war crimes related to the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, marking the first time someone suspected of involvement in these attacks will face justice. The accused, Serhij Kuznetsov, was detained nearly a year ago in Italy and is now being prosecuted for his alleged role in the September 2022 explosions beneath the Baltic Sea, which are considered the most spectacular act of sabotage since the end of the Cold War.

According to Germany's federal prosecutors, Kuznetsov is no longer being charged with unconstitutional sabotage but instead with war crimes. This shift stems from the belief that destroying parts of both Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 constitutes an attack on protected civilian infrastructure under international criminal law. Investigators in Karlsruhe argue that the destruction of these energy infrastructure systems fits within the broader context of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenskyy, has remained cautious when questioned about the matter. He stated that he had not received all official details yet and emphasized that it was too early to comment further. His remarks suggest a degree of diplomatic sensitivity regarding the implications of this case.

This incident extends beyond bilateral relations between Kyiv and Berlin, as it also involves Moscow. There have been discussions about potential compensation claims from Russia against its adversary, with estimates ranging from €140 billion to €170 billion according to reports from the Ukrainian media outlet Babel.

In December 2025, Germany’s Supreme Court indicated that the explosions were "highly likely" orchestrated by a foreign state within the framework of intelligence operations. These findings were confirmed by German prosecutors following their investigations. According to documents obtained by outlets such as Die Zeit, Kuznetsov played a leadership role in the covert operation. He previously worked for Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) until eleven years prior to the attacks. At the time of the incidents, he was serving as a soldier in the Ukrainian army, as evidenced by his military ID card accessed by the German newspaper.

During late summer 2022, it is believed that Kuznetsov traveled towards the Nord Stream pipelines with a team consisting of four specialized divers, an explosives expert, and a boat captain aboard a rented Bavaria Cruiser 50 sailboat named *Andromeda*. At approximately 80 meters depth, the divers placed several highly explosive devices made from a mixture of hexogen and octogen. On September 26, three sections of the pipeline exploded.

The images of the bubbling Baltic Sea captured global attention and sparked numerous speculations about possible involvement of Russian agents or even collaboration between American Navy divers and Norwegian authorities. However, evidence quickly pointed toward Ukraine.

Investigations led by ARD uncovered the *Andromeda*, which had been rented specifically for the attack and belonged to a German boat rental company. In the storage facility where the vessel was kept, investigators found fingerprints, hair strands on a T-shirt, a baseball cap, a thermos, and several used coffee mugs. Additionally, fragments of military-grade explosives containing octogen and hexogen were seized, matching samples taken from the pipelines.

Later, a traffic photo from the island of Rügen, taken in early September 2022, ultimately helped identify one of the individuals involved in the operation. This discovery marked a significant step forward in uncovering the full extent of the conspiracy behind the Nord Stream sabotage.