A Ukrainian ex-military officer accused in Germany of plotting the September 2022 Nord Stream pipeline blasts went to trial in Hamburg after his lawyers argued the sabotage may not have been a crime. Serhii Kuznetsov, 50, is accused of acting as a co-perpetrator in a major war-crime case involving attacks on Russia’s Nord Stream infrastructure, with prosecutors saying it targeted civilian systems and caused explosions that damaged public services. At the start of the trial, Kuznetsov’s lawyer Nicola Canestrini moved to have the case dismissed, arguing the pipeline was a “Russian weapon” and could be a legitimate target. “Is it unlawful to destroy an aggressor’s infrastructure without harming any human beings?” Canestrini asked. Prosecutors allege Kuznetsov worked with Ukrainian agents, including divers and an explosives expert, to plan the clandestine operation for unidentified Ukrainian state entities. Kuznetsov denies involvement. He chose to remain silent in court. The case is the first public hearing of evidence collected during a years-long investigation. Authorities say Kuznetsov was arrested under an international warrant in Italy last year. His lawyers said he could not mount a proper defense because he was obliged to withhold Ukrainian state secrets. The explosions on September 26, 2022 ruptured three of the four concrete-coated steel pipelines of the 1,200-km Baltic Sea system, creating a large methane release at a depth of 80 to 110 metres. Prosecutors say Kuznetsov travelled to Germany through Poland about three weeks before the attack using a forged Ukrainian passport. They allege he and his group used a sailboat hired in Rostock to reach an area near the Danish island of Bornholm, where they rigged specialized military-grade explosives to the sea floor. Kuznetsov is the only person on trial. Prosecutors say Croatian authorities have also arrested another man identified as Vladimir Z., whom they believe was one of the divers. The trial is expected to run until February next year.