An Italian court has authorized the transfer to Germany of 49-year-old Ukrainian Sergei Kuznetsov, who is suspected of organizing the explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, German broadcaster ntv reported. The exact date of the handover has not been set. Kuznetsov was arrested in late August on the Adriatic coast.
According to Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office, Kuznetsov was part of a group that in September 2022 planted explosives on the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near the Baltic island of Bornholm. He has been charged with involvement in the preparation of an explosion and anti-constitutional sabotage. Der Spiegel, citing its sources, reported that Kuznetsov is a former agent of Ukraine’s SBU. He was detained in the commune of San Clemente in the popular Adriatic resort area of Rimini, where he was vacationing with his wife and two young children.
Kuznetsov has categorically denied all allegations, saying he was in Ukraine at the time of the sabotage. He has also opposed his extradition to Germany. Kyiv denies any involvement in the pipeline blasts. Kuznetsov’s lawyer, Nicola Canestrini, is still seeking to block the extradition with an appeal to Italy’s Court of Cassation in Rome.
Several explosions in September 2022 damaged both pipelines so severely that gas transport became impossible. Leaks were detected on three of the four lines, although gas was no longer flowing through the pipelines. Media reports say German authorities have identified all members of the team responsible for the sabotage - seven Ukrainian suspects in total - with arrest warrants issued for six of them.
