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.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post at the end of August, marking the departure of one of President Donald Trump's closes...
A new lawsuit is challenging a paid Truth Social service that gives subscribers early access to posts from U.S. President Donald Trump and other senio...
Rescuers are still finding survivors after Colombia’s 7.4-magnitude earthquake, as casualty figures rise to 256....
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, raising fears that instability in both waterways could trigger a wider global energy and trade crisis.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran seeks compensation and sanctions relief before reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
A criminal court in Damascus has sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
Millions of people across Spain and Iceland are preparing on Wednesday to witness a rare total solar eclipse, when the moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun, briefly turning daylight into darkness along a narrow path.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her post at the end of August, marking the departure of one of President Donald Trump's closest and most visible advisers just months before the midterm elections.
A new lawsuit is challenging a paid Truth Social service that gives subscribers early access to posts from U.S. President Donald Trump and other senior officials, reigniting debate over whether government information can be distributed through a platform that financially benefits the president.
Rescuers are still finding survivors after Colombia’s 7.4-magnitude earthquake, as casualty figures rise to 256.
Millions of people across Spain and Iceland are preparing on Wednesday to witness a rare total solar eclipse, when the moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun, briefly turning daylight into darkness along a narrow path.
Ukraine has agreed to refrain from targeting certain tankers using Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk following a request from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, the Financial Times reported, although Kyiv has continued strikes on Russian targets at the port.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment