An Italian court has ruled to extradite to Germany Ukrainian Serhii Kuznetsov, suspected of coordinating attacks on the “Nord Stream 1” and “Nord Stream 2” gas pipelines in 2022.
This is reported by the Italian news agency Ansa.
The relevant decision was made after a hearing held on September 9.
Kuznetsovʼs lawyer Nicola Canestrini reported his intention to appeal this decision in the Italian Court of Cassation. According to him, the court violated the fundamental rights of a Ukrainian, including the right to a fair trial, proper conditions of detention, and functional immunity.
“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 gas pipeline strands remained intact. Western media reported that Russia was shutting down “Nord Stream” because it was not going to repair it after the accidents.
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.
In early February 2024, Sweden closed its investigation into the “Nord Stream” sabotage due to lack of jurisdiction. Following Sweden, Denmark also closed its investigation.
Germany is currently investigating the role of former Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi in the “Nord Stream” sabotage, as reported by the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal. Zelensky allegedly initially approved the plan, but later ordered it canceled, and Zaluzhny continued the operation despite this.
In November 2024, the German newspaper Der Spiegel published an investigation that stated that the saboteurs who sabotaged “Nord Stream” also planned to blow up “TurkStream” in the Black Sea, but they failed.
On August 26, 2025, German investigators issued arrest warrants for six Ukrainians suspected of involvement in the bombing. Ukrainian Serhii Kuznetsov, who was detained on suspicion, denies the charges.
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