Ukrainian refuses German extradition in Nord Stream sabotage case

A 49-year-old Ukrainian man, Serhii K., has been arrested in Italy, marking the first arrest in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

He is refusing to be extradited to Germany, where he is accused of being part of a Ukrainian cell that chartered a yacht to plant explosives on the pipelines. The suspect claims he was in Ukraine at the time of the incident.

The case is politically sensitive as Germany is a major supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia, and initial blame for the sabotage was directed at Moscow.