Germany puts Ukrainian on trial accused of blowing up Nord Stream pipelines

Four years after the attacks, Serhii K will appear in court accused of a plot to destroy Russia's gas pipelines to Germany.

On 26 September 2022, two underwater detonations blew holes in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, releasing roughly 300 000 metric tons of methane into the Baltic Sea. German prosecutors have charged Serhii K., a 31‑year‑old Ukrainian citizen living in Poland, with intentional sabotage, alleging he arranged the explosives via a diving vessel hired from a Polish shipyard. Each pipeline normally transports 55 billion cubic metres of gas per year; the blast cut about 110 bcm/yr of capacity, equivalent to roughly 15 % of the EU’s pre‑war Russian gas imports. The Hamburg regional court opens the trial on Wednesday, 3 November 2026, with the defendant facing up to ten years in prison if convicted.

If the trial renews market jitters, the European benchmark TTF gas price could rise by 5‑10 % in the next trading session. That would add about €15 to the average household’s monthly gas bill, based on current consumption of 1 500 kWh. Analysts warn that even a short‑term spike could feed into electricity tariffs linked to gas‑fired power plants.

Before the sabotage, Nord Stream supplied roughly 40 % of Germany’s natural gas, making it the cornerstone of the country’s winter heating system. After the 2022 invasion, Berlin accelerated LNG imports from the United States and Qatar and fast‑tracked renewable capacity, cutting pipeline reliance to under 10 % by 2024. Intelligence briefings shared with NATO allies indicated Ukrainian services had warned of a possible Russian false‑flag operation targeting the pipelines weeks before the blasts. The trial may reveal whether the attack was a state‑directed mission or the work of a clandestine group, a distinction that could reshape NATO’s rules of engagement for underwater infrastructure.

The court is expected to rule on the admissibility of sonar and diving‑log evidence on 10 November 2026, a decision that could determine whether the case proceeds to full testimony. On 15 November 2026, Germany’s Federal Network Agency will publish its weekly gas storage report, which traders will watch for any reaction to the trial’s progress. Despite the explosions, engineers say Nord Stream 2’s steel tubes remain largely intact and could be repaired for less than €200 million, a fraction of the €2 billion often cited in early media estimates.