Gas lines were blown up - the trial now started

Seven people are suspected of being involved in the September 2022 sabotage of the Russian-owned Nord Stream gas pipelines, which run from Russia to Germany.

One of the main suspects, a Ukrainian man arrested last year, is the first to stand trial. He is accused of having used a false identity and of having rented a yacht in Germany, from where the sabotage is said to have been carried out, according to the indictment. The 50-year-old man is accused of having committed war crimes when he used "warfare methods", according to the indictment, writes NDR. The man denies any wrongdoing.

The interest in the trial is great – over a hundred journalists and photographers are present on the first day of the trial, according to the court in Hamburg.

The trial began at 11 a.m. When the accused man entered the courtroom, he gave a short military salute, NDR reports. He then refused to comment.

The man's defender is demanding that the case against the man be dismissed. The defenders claim that because the 50-year-old was an officer in the Ukrainian army, he has no opportunity to express himself and "is forced to defend himself with his hands tied".

The negotiations were interrupted after just over two hours. The next negotiation day is not until October 27.

The trial is expected to last for a long time, so far 16 trials are planned.

The sabotage of Nord Stream took place in international waters, in the Danish and Swedish economic zones. The sabotage is believed to have been carried out by a group of divers who attached explosive charges to the pipelines at a depth of around 80 metres. According to information from the investigation, the suspected perpetrators were recruited in Ukraine.

Germany is the only country adjacent to the Baltic Sea to bring charges since the investigations in Sweden and Denmark were closed.

Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of being behind the blasts. Ukraine has denied any government involvement in the sabotage.

Russia's Nord Stream 2 project was completed in 2021 but was never put into operation as Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine the following year. The Nord Stream 1 pipeline was inaugurated in 2011 but was closed for maintenance work before the explosions. It has been kept closed since the sabotage.

Read more here:

The Nord Stream trial starts: The ex-military intends to remain silent