ROME: Italy’s highest court has ruled that a Ukrainian national suspected of involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions cannot be extradited to Germany.
The blasts, which occurred near Denmark’s Bornholm Island, disabled the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines and sparked international controversy over possible state and non-state involvement.
Defense lawyers argued that the suspect’s rights were violated during legal proceedings following his arrest on Italy’s Adriatic coast in August. “In light of today’s outcome, I will assess whether the conditions exist to request my client’s release, as the legal basis for his detention has now been removed,” said defense attorney Nicola Canestrini.
The 49-year-old suspect, wanted by German prosecutors for allegedly helping plan and execute the underwater explosions, had been facing extradition after a lower court’s approval. The Court of Cassation’s ruling overturns that decision, sending the case to another court for review.
German authorities claim the man was among the masterminds behind the blasts that crippled Europe’s key gas infrastructure. Another Ukrainian suspect, a 46-year-old trained diver, remains detained in Poland as Warsaw reviews Germany’s extradition request.
The Nord Stream explosions remain one of Europe’s most politically charged unsolved cases, with investigators in multiple countries conducting parallel but coordinated inquiries into the sabotage that reshaped Europe’s energy and security landscape.
