In Italy, the Court of Cassation overturned the decision to extradite to Germany Ukrainian Sergei Kuznetsov, suspected of involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. This was reported by ANSA.
Kuznetsov was detained on August 21 near Rimini on suspicion of organizing sabotage against the gas pipelines in September 2022. The court decided to review the issue of his extradition. During the hearing, the prosecutor’s office supported one of the defense arguments presented by lawyer Nicolo Canestrini, regarding the incorrect legal qualification of the events specified in the European arrest warrant.
Recall that in September 2022, explosions occurred in the Baltic Sea on the “Nord Stream-1” and “Nord Stream-2” pipelines, resulting in the release of about 800 million cubic meters of gas into the water. Despite numerous investigations by Denmark, Sweden, and Germany, the perpetrators were never identified. In 2024, Sweden and Denmark closed their cases due to lack of evidence and lack of jurisdiction.
In August 2025, Ukrainian Serhiy Kuznetsov was arrested in Italy, suspected of conspiracy, sabotage, and destruction of critical infrastructure. According to the German prosecutor’s office, he coordinated the operation to blow up the gas pipelines using a sailing yacht that left the port of Rostock.
At the same time, another suspect in this case was detained in Poland. However, the Polish authorities are in no hurry to extradite him to Germany. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that this would not be in the interests of his country.
