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German investigators: four bombs weighing up to 27 kg each destroyed Nord Stream gas pipelines 80 meters underwater
New details have emerged about the technical execution of the September 2022 Nord Stream pipeline attacks, with German investigators revealing that at least four explosive devices weighing 14 to 27 kilograms each were used to destroy the pipelines at depths of 70-80 meters in the Baltic Sea.
The explosive devices consisted of a mixture of RDX and HMX and were equipped with delayed-action detonators, according to the arrest warrant for Ukrainian suspect Serhii Kuznetsov obtained by Tagesschau.
Ukrainian suspect arrested in Italy
German investigators believe the operation involved a six-person team comprising a skipper, four divers, and an explosives expert who coordinated the placement of the bombs on both Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines.
Serhii Kuznetsov allegedly coordinated the entire mission. The 49-year-old Ukrainian—a former Security Service employee and retired Armed Forces captain—was arrested on 20 August at an Italian beach resort near Rimini where he was vacationing with his family.
When Italian police brought him to court in Bologna, handcuffed and flanked by three officers, Kuznetsov made a defiant gesture to waiting journalists. Three fingers. Ukraine’s trident symbol.
What investigators believe happened
Kuznetsov boarded the rented sailing yacht “Andromeda” from Wiek on Germany’s Rügen island, coordinated the team as they planted bombs on both Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, then departed on September 22. A driver picked him up and took him back to Ukraine. The remaining team members returned to Hohe Düne near Warnemünde—where they’d originally rented the boat.
How did German investigators crack the case? The investigation began in October 2022, with German Federal Criminal Police and Federal Police conducting underwater examinations using diving robots, collecting soil samples, and recovering pipeline fragments.
A breakthrough came through intelligence from a foreign service that led investigators to the “Andromeda” yacht, which had been rented in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania using false identities through a Polish shell company. When investigators examined it, they found fingerprints, DNA traces, and explosive residue. The evidence trail started there.
Italian media report that Kuznetsov’s lawyer has rejected the charges, and the suspect has refused to consent to extradition to Germany.
This represents the first arrest in what prosecutors call one of Europe’s most spectacular acts of sabotage. But it’s not the first suspect they’ve pursued.
Last year, German authorities tried to arrest another Ukrainian, Volodymyr Z., in Poland, who was allegedly involved as a diver in the operation. Despite having a European arrest warrant, he escaped—reportedly leaving in a Ukrainian diplomatic vehicle before Polish police could detain him.
Zelenskyy denies government involvement
According to Wall Street Journal reporting from August 2024, the operation was planned by high-ranking Ukrainian military officials and businessmen using a recreational yacht and publicly available nautical charts. According to WSJ sources, President Zelenskyy initially approved the plan but later ordered then-Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi to halt it after CIA warnings. Zaluzhnyi allegedly ignored the order.
Zelenskyy has consistently denied government involvement in the attacks. But German investigators believe they’ve identified multiple suspects—Ukrainian civilians plus current and former military personnel.
Kuznetsov faces charges of “anti-constitutional sabotage,” “intentional causing of an explosion,” and “destruction of buildings”—potentially 15 years in prison.
An Italian court will decide his fate. The key hearing is scheduled for next week.
