Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday (3 July) that the European Union should take into account allegations of Ukrainian involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream sabotage when considering Kyiv’s bid for membership.
Peskov made the remarks after German federal prosecutors charged a former Ukrainian army officer in connection with the underwater explosions that damaged the pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
"This is highly significant and, naturally, all EU countries must take this case into account when discussing the prospects of Ukraine’s EU membership, closer ties with the EU, and so forth," Peskov told media representatives.
German prosecutors allege the suspect, identified only as Serhii K., acted as a co-perpetrator on behalf of Ukrainian state entities and described the operation as a war crime.
According to prosecutors, Serhii K. and six alleged accomplices, all serving members of the Ukrainian military, acted “on the orders of state authorities in Ukraine” with the aim of permanently cutting off Russian gas supplies to Europe and reducing Moscow’s war revenues.
Investigators say the group travelled from Ukraine to Germany using forged passports before renting the yacht Andromeda in the port city of Rostock.
Prosecutors said traces of the military-grade explosives HMX and RDX were later found on board. The explosives were allegedly attached to the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm before being detonated on 26 September 2022.
The pipelines were not operational at the time, but the explosions caused significant damage to critical energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian authorities said on Thursday they did not yet have enough information to respond in detail to the German allegations.
Serhii K., who was extradited from Italy following his arrest in 2025, has denied any involvement. His lawyer told Reuters he expects his client to be acquitted.
The case could prove diplomatically sensitive for Germany, one of Ukraine’s largest military backers, given Berlin’s heavy pre-war reliance on Russian gas supplied through the Nord Stream network.
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