Euronews reports this, citingSpiegelandARD.
A Ukrainian national, identified only as K., is considered one of the alleged organizers of the attacks in September 2022. Several explosions on the seabed of the Baltic Sea destroyed three of the four gas pipeline lines. Both pipelines run almost parallel along the bottom of the Baltic Sea, from Vyborg, Russia, to Lubmin near Greifswald, Germany, and have been severely damaged ever since.
At the time, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office charged the Ukrainian with jointly organizing the explosion and with sabotage directed against the constitutional order. He was expected to stand trial in Hamburg. K. denies the charges.
New Charge: War Crime
Now, according to media reports, a charge of war crime is also being considered. According to the investigation, K. led a sabotage group and commanded the sailboat “Andromeda.” It is believed that the Ukrainian national and several others used the vessel to reach the area where the attacks on the gas pipeline took place.
The Federal Prosecutor General now assumes that an attack on civilian infrastructure took place. Under international criminal law, this may constitute a war crime.
This is the first charge in the case involving the explosions on the “Nord Stream” gas pipelines. In addition, he is charged with organizing the explosion and destroying infrastructure.
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