On Wednesday, Italy's Supreme Court approved the extradition to Germany of Ukrainian Serhiy Kuznetsov, suspected of orchestrating the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream pipelines between Russia and Germany more than three years ago. This was reported by AP, informs UNN.
Details
It is noted that the lawyer of 49-year-old Kuznetsov, Nicola Canestrini, stated that his client will be handed over to the German authorities within the next few days after the Court of Cassation rejected the defense's last appeal. At the same time, he expressed confidence that his client would be acquitted in court.
Reference
The explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which transported Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea until Russia cut off supplies in late August 2022. They also damaged the parallel Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was never put into operation as Germany suspended the certification process shortly before Russia launched its war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Serhiy Kuznetsov was detained on a European arrest warrant on August 21 at a campsite near the city of Rimini on the Adriatic coast, where he was vacationing with his family.
German prosecutors claim that Kuznetsov organized and carried out the detonation of at least four bombs weighing between 14 and 27 kilograms at a depth of 70-80 meters in the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm on September 26, 2022.
Kuznetsov denies his involvement in the explosions, stating that at the time of the explosions he was in Ukraine, where he served as an army captain.
Recall
Earlier it was reported that former Ukrainian serviceman Serhiy Kuznetsov, accused of blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022, ended his hunger strike, which he began on October 31.
Kuznetsov refused food from October 31, protesting against the conditions of detention in a high-security prison in Italy and demanding respect for his rights.