An Italian court has ordered the extradition of a Ukrainian man to Germany over his alleged role in the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline attacks.
As we previously reported, Italian police detained a Ukrainian suspect accused of helping plant explosives that crippled the pipelines in 2022.
The suspect–identified under German privacy laws as Serhii K.–was arrested near the Italian coastal town of Rimini in August on a European arrest warrant.
He plans to appeal the decision to Italy’s highest court, the Court of Cassation. His defence argued that “Fundamental rights–fair trial, detention conditions, functional immunity–cannot be sacrificed in the name of automatic judicial cooperation.”
The explosions near the Danish island of Bornholm–described by both Russian and Western officials as sabotage–caused significant damage to Russian gas pipelines, disrupting energy supplies to Europe and heightening tensions in the region.
No group has claimed responsibility, and Ukraine has denied any involvement.
The German prosecutor’s office has charged Serhii K. with collusion to cause an explosion, anti-constitutional sabotage, and the destruction of important infrastructure.
