A lawyer for a Ukrainian accused of blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines said Wednesday that Russia used them as a "weapon" to exert political and economic pressure, as the former military officer's trial opened in Germany.
Sergiy Kuznietsov is the first person to go on trial over the 2022 sabotage of the pipelines that were designed to carry Russian gas to western Europe.
The 50-year-old is accused of leading a Ukrainian team of divers and an explosives expert to bomb Nord Stream, seven months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
At the start of proceedings in Hamburg, prosecutor Stefan Schmidt said Kuznietsov had committed a war crime by "using military means" to hit civilian targets. He is also charged with attacking civilian infrastructure and causing an explosion.
Defence lawyer Nicola Canestrini told the court there was no clear evidence linking the former special forces officer to the sabotage.
He accused Russia of using the pipelines as a political and economic "weapon".
"In September 2022, the pipelines were not supplying anyone with heat," he said.
"They were a means of exerting pressure in a war," added Canestrini, and also said Russia was guilty of committing war crimes, rather than his client.
Dwindling gas supplies
Three out of four pipelines were seriously damaged by the blasts under the Baltic Sea in September 2022.
Before the sabotage rendered them inoperable, Russia had steadily reduced gas supplies through the pipelines to Europe in apparent retaliation for sanctions imposed over its invasion.
READ ALSO: Germany says Ukrainian man arrested over Nord Stream sabotage
While some in the West were quick to accuse Russia of sabotaging its own export route, German investigators identified a cell of Ukrainians they say were the alleged perpetrators.
According to the indictment, Kuznietsov entered Germany in early September 2022 using a forged Ukrainian passport and, together with the rest of the sabotage team, boarded a rented yacht in the German Baltic Sea port city of Rostock.
The yacht was allegedly loaded with large quantities of military-grade explosives, and set sail for a spot where the pipelines ran under the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm.
Divers then allegedly planted explosive charges equipped with timers on the pipelines, which blew up several days later.
Prosecutor Schmidt said the bombing aimed to ensure deliveries via the pipelines would be "permanently halted", so Russia could no longer use revenues from gas sales to finance its war efforts.
'What are war crimes?'
The defendant will not testify during the trial, with his lawyers saying confidentiality rules prevent former Ukrainian special forces personnel from speaking publicly about their activities.
The pipelines were built and owned by a corporate consortium led by Russian energy giant Gazprom.
At the time of the blasts, none were in operation.
Moscow had already suspended gas deliveries to western Europe through Nord Stream 1, comprising two pipelines.
READ ALSO: Germany pursues new Russia sanctions despite US diesel deal
Nord Stream 2, also made up of two pipelines, had only just been completed and never entered service.
Kyiv has consistently denied orchestrating the sabotage, but has made no secret of its satisfaction with the results.
Another suspect, partially identified as Volodymyr Z., was arrested in Croatia in August and is accused of taking part in the sabotage as a diver.
A Croatian court has approved his extradition to Germany although he is appealing the decision.
According to media reports, Volodymyr Z. was advising the makers of a Hollywood film inspired by the sabotage, with Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody tapped to portray the leader of the sabotage unit.
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Germany has become Kyiv's leading military backer and regularly accuses Russia of sabotage and espionage on its soil.
The investigation into the Nord Stream sabotage has proved awkward for diplomatic ties, and some in Germany have also been unhappy that a Ukrainian has been hauled into court.
Outside the Hamburg trial, a small group of pro-Ukrainian protesters staged a demonstration.
They held placards saying: "Russia is a terrorist" and "What are war crimes? A blown-up pipeline? Or the bombing of buildings and the killing of people?"