A detainee in Italy in the Nord Stream case refused extradition to Germany.

Sergey Kuznetsov, a citizen of Ukraine, who was detained in Italy on suspicion of involvement in the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, refused voluntary extradition to Germany. This was reported on August 22 by the Italian news agency ANSA.

According to the newspaper, the Bologna Court of Appeal confirmed Kuznetsov's detention. It is specified that the next hearing of the case is scheduled for September 3.

"Kuznetsov did not agree to be extradited to Germany during the hearing," the publication says.

It is noted that the suspect did not admit his guilt. According to him, he was in Ukraine at the time of the Nord Stream bombing. In addition, Kuznetsov also stated that he would like to read the charges in his native language.

On the same day, ANSA reported that the Bologna court had decided to keep Kuznetsov under arrest. Later, the Open edition reported that his sketch had been posted online. They also clarified that the Ukrainian faces up to 15 years in prison.

On August 21, Kuznetsov was reported to have been detained in Italy. It was clarified that the operation was carried out on the warrant of the Federal Republic of Germany.

On the same day, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera revealed the identity of the detainee. He turned out to be a former special forces soldier and agent of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Sergey Kuznetsov. According to the publication, he is considered the commander of the yacht Andromeda, which was used on September 26, 2022 to transport terrorists who blew up a gas pipeline.

Leaks on gas pipelines were discovered in September 2022. Bjorn Lund, a representative of the Swedish seismic center, said that two powerful underwater explosions were registered in the area of pipeline leaks at the time of the emergency. After that, traces of explosives were found at the scene. The Russian Federation is seeking an international investigation into the terrorist attacks.

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