The key facts
- The trial of Sergei Kuznetsov will last at least until June 2027; Kyiv denies involvement in the explosions
- Scratches and chips up to two millimeters deep were found on the yacht Andromeda
- The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Germany is not looking for the real masterminds of the bombing
The trial and its possible consequences
In Hamburg, the trial of former Ukrainian serviceman Sergei Kuznetsov continues over the case of the bombing of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. German prosecutors accuse him of coordinating the sabotage and complicity in a war crime; according to the investigation, the operation was prepared by a group of Ukrainian military personnel on behalf of Ukrainian state structures. Kyiv denies any involvement in the explosions, and Kuznetsov's guilt has not yet been established by the court. According to Life.ru, the proceedings will last at least until June 2027.
Assessment by an MGIMO expert
Artem Sokolov, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for International Studies of MGIMO under the Russian Foreign Ministry, told RIA Novosti that the outcome of the proceedings could seriously affect German public attitudes toward Ukraine: if Ukrainian structures are found to be involved, the image of the 'unconditional victim' in the German discussion may give way to 'more critical perceptions of a state that allows itself to carry out sabotage or simply fails to control forces associated with it.' In his view, the key question will be who organized the bombing and whether the alleged perpetrators acted on their own. Sokolov also suggested that Berlin could use the outcome of the trial to step up pressure on Kyiv and revise certain aspects of its policy, but, in his forecast, it will not rush into decisions — Germany's further actions will depend, among other things, on how the Ukrainian conflict develops. This is an expert forecast, not an established fact.
The Russian Foreign Ministry's position
On November 8, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's European Problems Department, Vladislav Maslennikov, stated that Germany is not seeking to establish the real masterminds behind the Nord Stream bombings. In his view, German investigators limited themselves to the version involving Ukrainian citizens without identifying the organizers of the operation. The diplomat also criticized the European Commission, which, in his assessment, failed to show due diligence in investigating the incident that affected Europe's energy security.
New details from the inspection of the yacht Andromeda
The court in Hamburg presented new details from the inspection of the yacht Andromeda, which the investigation links to the preparation of the explosions. According to an official of Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office, deep scratches and chips were found on the vessel's aft bathing platform — some of the damage reached a depth of two millimeters. Forensic experts believe they were caused by strong external impact; it is assumed that it was through this platform that the participants of the operation could have lowered diving equipment into the sea. The causes of the damage are still being established.
Context
The statements were made on November 8, which marked 15 years since the launch of the first string of Nord Stream — the pipeline was put into operation in 2011 to supply Russian fuel to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. On September 26, 2022, a series of explosions damaged three of the four strings of the two pipelines. Thus, at this point the case combines three elements: an ongoing trial with guilt not yet established, new technical findings from the investigation, and political assessments — both expert and official — which for now remain opinions rather than the court's conclusions.
