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

Key Points:

• Serhii K, a Ukrainian man accused of orchestrating the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, has gone on trial in Hamburg, marking the first prosecution related to the blasts that disrupted Russian gas supplies to Germany.
• German prosecutors allege Serhii K, a former Ukrainian army officer, led a team of divers and explosives experts to destroy the pipelines to hinder Russia's war financing, while he denies the charges.
• The case is sensitive due to Germany's close alliance with Ukraine and differing views, with Ukrainian officials denying involvement and some courts, like in Poland, ruling that such an attack could be justified as a wartime act.
• Investigations pointed to deep-sea divers using a yacht rented in Germany, with traces of explosives found on the vessel, and the German federal court ruled the case falls under Germany's jurisdiction as it concerns national security and international law.
• Another suspect, Volodymyr Zhuravlov, was arrested in Croatia and approved for extradition to Germany, though his case and its timing in relation to the Hamburg trial remain uncertain.