A former Ukrainian army officer, identified as Serhii K under German privacy rules, has been charged with participating in a war crime over the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions. The charges were filed at a regional court in Hamburg, Germany, accusing him of acting on behalf of Ukrainian state authorities and leading a team to attack civilian objects, causing an explosion, destroying infrastructure, and disrupting public services. The alleged incident occurred in September 2022, seven months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, a crucial route for Russian gas exports to Europe, was damaged as a result, and the Nord Stream 2 branch was also affected before it entered service. At the time, Moscow had halted gas deliveries to Europe through Nord Stream 1, blaming Western sanctions and technical issues. The explosions took place in international waters near the Danish island of Bornholm, with the aim of permanently halting gas deliveries via the pipelines and preventing Russia from using revenue from natural gas trade to finance its war efforts. Serhii K was arrested in Italy in August and transferred to Germany in November, facing a minimum prison sentence of three years on the charge of directing an attack against civilian objects under German law. The case falls under German jurisdiction because the damaged pipelines end at Lubmin in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, affecting German energy security. Ukrainian authorities have yet to respond in detail to the allegations, but are expected to do so once they receive more information about the indictment. The incident has added fuel to ongoing tensions between Russia and Western countries, with both parties accusing each other of weaponizing energy supplies.