Germany’s Federal Prosecutor has filed charges against a 50-year-old Ukrainian citizen, Serhii K., in connection with the September 2022 explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The charges were first reported by the German newspaper Die Zeit.
According to prosecutors, Serhii K. led a seven-member team that reached the pipelines aboard the chartered sailing yacht Andromeda and planted explosives at a depth of about 80 meters. Three pipeline strings were destroyed on September 26, 2022. He is charged with attacking civilian energy infrastructure, which prosecutors classify as a war crime under international law, as well as causing an explosion and destroying infrastructure.
Serhii K. was arrested while on vacation in Italy in August 2025 and has been held in pretrial detention in Germany since November. He denies any involvement in the explosions. In an appeal against his detention, Serhii K. argued that he enjoys the “functional immunity” of a serviceman, claiming that he was merely following orders.
