Germany: A Ukrainian former military officer went on trial in Germany on Wednesday, accused of organising the covert operation that blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022, cutting off western Europe from a major source of Russian natural gas.
The suspect, identified only as Serhii K under German privacy rules, is accused of leading a group of Ukrainian operatives, including divers and an explosives expert, in what prosecutors describe as one of the largest infrastructure sabotage operations of modern times.
The trial will offer the first public hearing of evidence gathered during a years-long investigation. The case has created diplomatic and political difficulties for the German government, which remains a strong supporter of Ukraine despite an investigative trail linking Kyiv to the blasts.
Prosecutors allege that Serhii K, who was arrested in Italy last year under an international warrant, worked with members of the Ukrainian military to plan the clandestine operation on behalf of unidentified Ukrainian state entities.
Serhii K has denied any involvement in the explosions that ruptured the 1,200-kilometre (750-mile) Baltic Sea pipeline.
The government in Kyiv has also denied involvement, a sensitive issue in its relations with Germany, Ukraine’s largest European supplier of military aid.
The Russian government said on Monday that it expected a 'just verdict' that would reveal the identities of those who carried out the operation and those who ordered it.