German prosecutors announced on 2/7 that Ukrainian state authorities ordered the 9/2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, which destroyed three of four pipelines in the Baltic Sea. This accusation comes as a Ukrainian citizen, Serhii Kuznietsov, arrested in Rimini, Italy, in 8/2025, faces charges related to the attack. He was subsequently extradited to Germany.

Kuznietsov is accused of being a member of the Ukrainian group that placed explosive devices on Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2. Prosecutors identified him as a Ukrainian military officer. Following the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Kuznietsov and other military members planned to destroy the Nord Stream pipelines to disrupt Russia's gas revenue.

Gas bubbles leak from the Nord Stream 2 pipeline rising to the surface of the Baltic Sea, near Denmark's Bornholm Island in 9/2022. Photo: Danish Ministry of Defense

Kuznietsov led a team comprising professional divers, a captain, and an explosives expert. They rented a yacht in the port city of Rostock in northeastern Germany using fake identification documents. The group transported a large quantity of military explosives through international waters to an area near Bornholm Island, Denmark. These explosives, along with timed detonators, were attached to the gas pipelines on 22/9/2022, with the series of explosions occurring 4 days later.

Russia and Ukraine have not commented on these latest details. Ukraine previously called accusations of its involvement in the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage "completely baseless." The incident presents a diplomatic challenge between Berlin and Kyiv, given Germany's role as a major supporter of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

Leak locations after the explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in 9/2022. Graphics: *Guardian*

Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 were constructed under the Baltic Sea to transport Russian natural gas to Germany and Western Europe. Both pipelines were severely damaged in 9/2022, though they were not operational at the time. Investigations were launched by Denmark, Sweden, and Germany, the three countries closest to the explosion site. German officials found a yacht with traces of explosives in 7/2023, suspecting its connection to the incident.

According to the German police investigation, 6 people carried out the attack: five men and one woman, all Ukrainian. Four of them had diving experience. They used HMX, a powerful explosive, connected to timer-controlled detonators, and attached to the pipelines.

Nguyen Tien (According to *AFP, AP, Reuters*)