Nord Stream sabotage: Russian Foreign Ministry threatens to appeal to UN court

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the statement.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that "the West is not interested in conducting an effective investigation into the terrorist attack, despite the significant damage caused by the gas pipeline subversion to the European economy and environment."

She added that, in response, Russia has officially lodged pre-trial claims against Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland, citing violations under the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.

Zakharova noted that the dispute is currently in the pre-trial stage of settlement, a mandatory step outlined by the conventions.

“If the issue is not resolved during this stage, Russia intends to escalate the matter to the International Court of Justice, citing violations of conventional obligations by the aforementioned countries,” she stated.

Zakharova also warned that “other states potentially involved in the Nord Stream sabotage could face similar actions.”

What is known about the Nord Stream sabotage

On the night of September 26, 2022, a sudden pressure drop was detected in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. By the following day, it was confirmed that gas had leaked from the pipeline into the Baltic Sea, just ahead of the planned launch of the Baltic Sea pipeline.

Experts later determined that a man-made explosion, equivalent to approximately 700 kilograms of TNT, had occurred along the routes of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg condemned the incident as an act of sabotage.

Media outlets in the United States and Germany have investigated the Nord Stream incident, suggesting possible links to pro-Ukrainian forces. However, officials from both countries, along with NATO, have urged waiting for the official investigation results. The Office of the President of Ukraine has denied any Ukrainian involvement in the attack.

On August 14, the German Prosecutor General’s Office issued the first arrest warrant for a Ukrainian suspect in connection with the Nord Stream pipeline bombing. The suspect remains at large.

Deputy spokesman for the German federal government Wolfgang Büchner says that the results of the investigation into the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline will not harm relations between Kyiv and Berlin.

At the same time, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Presidential Office, denied Ukraine's involvement in the Nord Stream bombing, noting that the country did not benefit from the explosions.