The Ambassador at Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Rodion Miroshnik made a key statement related to the investigation of the explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, which occurred in September 2022.
The diplomat did not rule out the possibility that in the future the authorities in Kiev will be officially charged and held financially responsible for the destruction of critical energy infrastructure. The statement comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions on the Moscow-Berlin-Kiev axis and the revelations surrounding the German investigation into the sabotage.
The news is current as of 06:36 Bulgarian time on August 10, 2026 and reflects the increasing pressure from the Russian Federation to seek international compensation after a series of key judicial and prosecutorial decisions in Europe.
International pressure and accusations against Ukraine
Miroshnik's statement coincides with new stages of the investigation by the Federal Prosecutor's Office of Germany, which recently brought formal charges against Ukrainian citizen and former military Serhiy K. for committing war crimes and deliberately causing explosions. According to German investigative authorities, the sabotage was carried out by a specialized Ukrainian group operating under order of state structures in Kiev to permanently cut off Russia's income from the sale of natural gas.
While the official Ukrainian authorities and the Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine continue to categorically deny any involvement of the state in the attack, Moscow is using Berlin's legal moves to argue for future claims for compensation. According to comments from the Russian Foreign Ministry, if the guilt of the Ukrainian structures is finally proven in court, Ukraine will have to bear the full economic burden of restoring or compensating for the damage caused.
Why are insurers and courts changing the balance?
The issue of "charging" Kiev gains even greater weight after the recent decision of the High Court in London. The British court rejected the claim of the operator Nord Stream AG for payment of insurance compensation in the amount of almost 580 million euros. Magistrates in the United Kingdom accepted the arguments of major insurance companies that the explosions were directly or indirectly linked to the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, triggering the clauses excluding liability in the event of acts of war.
This court precedent de facto closes the door to private insurance compensation for the destroyed infrastructure, leaving Russia with the alternative of seeking funds directly from the state cited as the perpetrator by the German authorities.