Nord Stream sabotage trial is getting underway. Here’s a refresher

Key Points:

• In September 2022, explosions damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, leading to a major international investigation into suspected sabotage, with initial suspicions pointing toward Russia.
• Two Ukrainian nationals, Serhii Kuznietsov and Volodymyr Zhuravlov, were arrested and accused by German prosecutors of involvement in the attacks, with allegations that they acted on behalf of Ukrainian state authorities; both deny wrongdoing and Ukraine denies involvement.
• The Nord Stream pipelines, owned mainly by Russia’s Gazprom, were controversial due to Europe’s reliance on Russian gas, and the attacks occurred amid heightened tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Denmark and Sweden have closed their investigations citing jurisdictional and evidentiary issues, leaving Germany as the sole country pursuing the case, with Kuznietsov’s trial set to begin in Hamburg and expected to last until February 2025.
• The incident has intensified debates over European energy security and political alliances, highlighting divisions over responses to Russia and the legacy of past decisions to build the pipelines despite geopolitical risks.