A Ukrainian man, identified as Serhii K, is scheduled to stand trial in Hamburg next week, facing charges related to the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions. He is accused of causing an explosion and a war crime, specifically attacking civilian infrastructure, allegedly acting on behalf of "state agencies of Ukraine". Both Serhii K and Ukraine have denied any involvement in the incident.
German police concluded that Serhii K commanded a series of explosions in September 2022 beneath the Baltic Sea, which ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines. Prosecutors "strongly suspect" that Serhii K led a crew, including four deep-sea divers, using a rented yacht named Andromeda. They allege that high-performance explosives, four devices weighing up to 27kg each, were planted approximately 80m below the surface and activated with timers.
Serhii K was arrested on 13 August 2025 after German authorities identified him as a key suspect. He was apprehended in Italy after an arrest warrant was issued on 18 August. Another suspect, Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, is currently fighting extradition from Croatia, where he was arrested in August.