Ukrainian Kuznetsov, suspected of blowing up of “Nord Stream”, actually served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets wrote a letter to the Court of Appeal of Bologna (Italy), in which he acknowledged for the first time on behalf of the state that at the time of the explosions at “Nord Stream”, suspect Serhiy Kuznetsov was serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This is discussed in the material of Babel.

Kuznetsovʼs military status means that he is "entitled to the protection provided for by the norms of international humanitarian law" — in particular, the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, as well as Article 75 of Additional Protocol I of 1977.

Also in the letter, a copy of which was received by Babel journalists, Lubinets asks the Italian court to allow his representative to enter Kuznetsovʼs place of detention in order to "check his health and conditions of detention".

In addition, last week, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and asked Minister Andriy Sybiha to pay attention to the Kuznetsov case. Lubinets believes that Italy is violating the prohibition of inhuman treatment and the right to a fair trial.

Against this background, Lubinets asked Sybiha to assist in verifying the conditions of the Ukrainianʼs detention in Italy, transferring him to a specialized medical facility, restoring his right to protection, and restoring contact with his family.

Kuznetsov went on a hunger strike on October 31 in a high-security prison in Italy, demanding respect for his fundamental rights, while he awaits a final decision on his extradition to Germany.

A Ukrainian wrote a letter from an Italian prison, saying he was being treated as “criminal number one”, held with suspected members of the so-called ISIS, and “cynically ignored” his eating habits. On November 11, Kuznetsov ended his hunger strike.

“Nord Stream” explosions

On September 26, 2022, three explosions occurred on the “Nord Stream 1” and “Nord Stream 2” pipelines, which run along the bottom of the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, causing massive gas leaks. Only one of the four strands of the pipeline remained intact.

The US, UK and EU governments have declared a deliberate sabotage. Russia believes that the US and its allies are interested in the bombings. Western and Russian media have written about different versions — from sabotage by the Russians themselves to the involvement of Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied Ukraineʼs involvement in the sabotage.

On August 26, 2025, German investigators issued arrest warrants for six Ukrainians suspected of involvement in the bombing. Ukrainian Serhiy Kuznetsov, who was detained in Italy and suspected of involvement in the sabotage, denies the charges. An Italian court allowed his extradition to Germany.

On October 27, a court in Bologna ordered the extradition of Serhiy Kuznetsov to Germany. The defense appealed to the Italian Supreme Court.

In October 2025, a Polish court refused to extradite another detainee in the case — Volodymyr Zhuravlev — to Germany. The court ruled that Germany had provided insufficient evidence and that the act he is accused of “was committed in the context of the criminal and genocidal war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine since 2014”. The Polish prosecutor’s office decided not to appeal the decision.

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