Nord Stream sabotage investigation identifies Ukrainian suspects

Investigations into the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage in the Baltic Sea have identified a group of seven Ukrainian nationals as the primary suspects. According to German investigators, the group utilized the sailing vessel Andromeda to place explosives on the pipelines near Bornholm. The suspected team included four divers, an explosives specialist, a navigator, and an operational coordinator identified as Serguei Kuznetsov, who is currently in custody.

Other suspects include professional diver Wolodymyr Z., who was arrested in Croatia in August 2026, and explosives specialist Yevhen U., who remains at large. The sabotage destroyed three of the four pipelines belonging to Nord Stream 1 and 2.

In response to the ongoing tensions and accusations, Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed German claims of Russian involvement as “nonsense.” Speaking at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, Putin stated that Russia maintains an interest in selling gas to Europe and remains willing to supply it if European nations decide to “press the button,” suggesting that U.S. sanctions are the primary barrier to such a decision.