Germany may have identified all behind Nord Stream sabotage, reports say
Photo: Germany was able to identify all those involved in the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage (Getty Images)
German investigators have identified all those involved in the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage. All of them allegedly have ties to Ukraine, according investigation by ZEIT, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and ARD.
According to the investigation, all suspects in the explosions have been identified, and arrest warrants have been issued for them. And allegedly, they all have ties to Ukraine.
The German investigation believes that seven people were involved in the operation: four divers, a person responsible for the explosives, a captain, and Serhii K. (Kuznietsov - ed.), who was arrested in Italy and is awaiting a court decision on extradition to Germany.
All of them were part of the crew of the yacht Andromeda, which was used to carry out the sabotage.
The suspects traveled through Poland using genuine Ukrainian passports, albeit with false names.
Among those identified are:
- Diving instructor Volodymyr S., who was in Poland but left the country after Germany issued an arrest warrant for him;
- Vsevolod K., who was killed in action in December 2024;
- Yevhen U., who was allegedly responsible for the explosives;
- Professional diver Valeria T.;
- Yacht captain with passports in the names of Mykhailo Popov and Yurii Kotenko.
However, German investigators have not yet concluded Ukraine's involvement in the sabotage of Nord Stream. The Ukrainian side rejects the accusations of involvement.
Sabotage of Nord Stream
The explosions on Nord Stream occurred on September 26, 2022. They caused serious damage to both gas pipelines, completely putting them out of service. The investigation was conducted by several countries, but it was not possible to determine who was behind the explosions.
The media reported that a few days before the incident, a ship named Andromeda, leased by a Polish company, was in the area where the gas pipeline runs. The owners of this company are two Ukrainian citizens.
In August 2025, it became known that a Ukrainian citizen suspected by Germany of organizing the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines had been detained in Italy. The man in question is 49-year-old Sergei Kuznietsov, a former special forces soldier.
Kuznietsov is believed to be the commander of the yacht Andromeda, which was used to blow up the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines connecting Germany and Russia.
According to the investigation, Kuznietsov was not alone on the yacht Andromeda. There were at least five other people with him: a woman and four demolitionists.
At the court hearing, Kuznietsov denied the charges of blowing up the gas pipelines and refused to be extradited to Germany. According to him, he was in Ukraine at the time of the explosions.
The next court hearing in the case will take place on September 3.
