German federal prosecutors have formally charged a Ukrainian national with being an accomplice to war crimes and causing explosions in connection with the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.
The charges, announced Thursday, also include disruption of public services and mark the first criminal indictment in the investigation into the underwater gas pipeline blasts.
The suspect is identified as a former Ukrainian soldier, according to reports from The Moscow Times.
This development represents a significant escalation in the legal proceedings surrounding the destruction of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which were severed in September 2022, cutting off a major route for Russian gas to Europe.
The indictment follows months of speculation regarding the perpetrators behind the sabotage.
While previous investigations had focused on various actors, the formal charging of a specific individual provides a concrete lead in the complex geopolitical mystery.